The Throne of Asgard
by History101
Summary: A.U. 'fix it' series of events, set after Loki is given the throne when Odin falls into the Odinsleep in 'Thor' (2011). Based around the idea that Loki is not 'evil' and what happens after he is made king. Will cover events from 'Thor', 'The Avengers', and 'Thor, the Dark world.' Each chapter will have its own summary since they won't necessarily be written in chronological order.
1. King Loki's First Command

**King Loki's First Command**

 **Summary** \- Odin has fallen into the Odinsleep and Loki is made king. Instead of plotting against his brother and father, Loki establishes peace with Jotunheim and must come to terms with the lies he has been told by his 'family.' He must also decide what, if anything, he is to do about the banished God of Thunder.

* * *

"You can bring your urgent matter to me," Loki said from atop his golden throne, "Your king," he added, enjoying the look of confusion that passed between them.

He was now resplendent in rarely used, ceremonial golden armour to match his horned helmet and he stood, slowly, moving to bang Gungnir against the ground at his feet for emphasis. He looked down at the Warriors Three and Lady Sif and repressed a smile as they wordlessly agreed between them to kneel respectfully.

"My king," she began with some disgust, "We would ask that you end Thor's banishment."

With a quiet scoff, Loki took a slow step down towards them as he spoke, "My first command cannot be undo the All-Father's last. We're on the brink of war with Jotunheim, or had you forgotten that?"

"Of course not," Sif scowled, jumping to her feet with clenched fists.

"We understand," Fandral caught her arm before she could move any further while Hogun grasped her other wrist simultaneously.

"Good, then you will wait for my word."

"Erm...if I might..." Volstagg began to utmost respect, "Beg the indulgence of your majesty...to perhaps reconsider..."

"I cannot bring Thor back!" Loki cried, his voice echoing.

"You cannot leave him on Midgard..." Sif protested.

"It is what the All-Father wanted," he reminded them.

"For how long?"

"However long it takes for him to learn the error of his ways."

"While you rule as king?" Sif scoffed.

"Watch your tone, my Lady," Loki narrowed his eyes. "The All-Father's message was clear; Thor cannot return to Asgard until he is worthy of his power again, however...I am not forbidden to aid him in his struggles."

"How?" Hogan asked.

"That is something I will need to decide on once I return from Jotunheim, the threat of war is more dire than my brother's banishment," he said and they couldn't deny the truth in his words.

"Return from Jotunheim?" Fandral repeated.

"Yes," Loki sighed.

"They'll kill anyone who dares to set one foot on their world after what happened, you cannot risk..." Hogun objected.

"What he means...my king..." Volstagg glared at her before turning to Loki, "Is that perhaps there are...wiser courses available to you. You are king now, surely it is too much of a risk to..."

"If I send another, I will be ridiculed, they'll think me afraid," Loki said, shaking his head. "No, I must go, to avoid war."

"If you go, it's likely you might start one by your presence alone, my king..." Fandral replied.

"And if I don't go, there'll be war anyway. I'm not left with much of a choice."

"Then...allow me to accompany you, your majesty," Volstagg said.

"I as well," Fandral nodded.

"As you wish," Loki shrugged, "And what of you?" he asked Hogun and Sif. "I know your loyalty lies with my brother, Lady Sif," Loki sneered, "But think on this; the sooner I return, the sooner I can hasten Thor's return."

"...And what would you majesty get if Thor does return?" she asked him shrewdly, "You will be forced to forfeit the throne."

"Such words border on heresy, I advise you to stay your tongue...before I cut it out," his hissed and grit her teeth as she bowed her head. "Now, I leave soon, whether you join me or not is irrelevant, but if you do, you will follow my every command."

* * *

"Loki," Thor exclaimed, sitting up in the plastic chair, "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you," he replied simply, appearing before the powerless god, dressed rather blandly in a dull green coat and suit. His muted, dull image matched the equally bland surroundings of the pure white room.

"What's happened? Tell me, is it Jotunheim? Let me explain to father..." Thor begged.

"Father sleeps," Loki said, stopping him before he could say more.

"...What?"

"He fell into the Odinsleep, I fear...that this was all too much for him to bear, your banishment, the threat of a new war..."

"War..."

"I am bound for Jotunheim, in fact, I'm nearing the Bifrost as we speak," Loki told him. "I don't have long. The burden of the throne has fallen to me now and I am going to do all in my power to avoid war."

"...Can I come home? I can help, please..."

"You can do nothing until you prove yourself worthy of Mjölnir and your power. I cannot undo the All-Father's command and time spent attempting to do so is time I need to avert this war. But I will try to aid you...if I can...provided that I return."

"...I understand...thank you, brother," Thor nodded, his eyes lowering.

"Farewell," Loki said after a moment, before he disappeared.

"Goodbye," the powerless god murmured just as Agent Coulson returned with a puzzled expression.

* * *

The light from the Bifrost dissipated as their feet landed on the solid frozen ground and Loki turned to them, a serious expression on his face.

"Listen to me, all of you," he began solemnly. "Do not react to what I tell Laufey, he must believe you are loyal to me. The safety of Asgard depends on it. Do not react!"

"What do you..." Fandral furrowed his brow.

"Just...this once, do as I say, if you don't, you doom us all and Thor having no home to return to will be the least of your worries," Loki replied and took off quickly, heading for the old halls of the Frost Giants with the four warriors behind him. It didn't take long for them to reach a large congregation of Giants who slowly moved to allow them through with deep scowls of hatred on their blue faces.

"Kill them," Laufey ordered, the moment that the Asgardians stood before him.

"Kill us? Really? After all I've done for you?" Loki smirked.

"So you were the one who showed us the way into Asgard," the Frost Giant sat back in his throne.

"That was just a bit of fun really," Loki shrugged, "To protect the realm from my brothers idiotic rule a while longer," he said. He heard the Warriors behind him breathe in surprise but, luckily, they said nothing.

"I will hear you," the king said to Loki who nodded once and began to stride with confidence about the room.

"I will conceal you, and a handful of your soldiers, lead you into Odin's chambers and you can slay him where he lies."

"Why not kill him yourself?"

"I suspect that the Asgardians would not take kindly to a king who had murdered his predecessor," Loki scoffed. "Once Odin is dead, I will return the Casket to you and you can return Jotunheim to all of its...glory," he finished.

Laufey had stood in his surprise and his greed, watching Loki from the height of his crumbling throne with a grin on his scarred face.

"I...accept," the giant smirked.

* * *

"What in Odin's name was that?!" Volstagg exclaimed angrily once they reached the site of the Bifrost's landing again.

"Be silent!" Loki hissed, "We are not done."

"But you just..."

"Prince of Lies," a gritty voice spoke out and the four Asgardian warrior drew their blades.

"Weapons down!" Loki hissed at them.

"What?!" Sif scoffed.

"They are here to negotiate," he said, "That is why we are here. Now for Norns sake, lower your weapons or you really will start a war."

Loki stepped in front of them and though they slowly, and with great confusion, lowered their weapons, they still held them tightly. "Helblindi," he smiled a cold, almost cruel smile.

"You offer my father a deal and now you offer me one?" one of the Giants stepped forwards to stand before the King. He was Helblindi, crown prince of Jotunheim, first born of Laufey.

"Of course," Loki smiled, "He has to think me on his side."

"I have heard your offer to my father, so what is mine?" the giant asked bluntly.

"There are rumours," Loki began as he circled, keeping a close eye on the giant. "Whispers...that you desire your father's throne," he said, "And that you have many a loyal supporter."

"What of it?"

"Of the two of you, your father and you, whose support is the greater?"

"Difficult to say, I've never tried to pit them against each other," Helblindi replied.

"And against Asgard?"

"One Frost Giant counts for ten Asgardians on the field of battle," the giant scoffed.

"Mmm-hmmm," Loki hummed, taking a step towards the giant that he now knew was his blood brother, the thought sending a shiver down his spine that had nothing to do with the cold. "Laufey wants war," he remarked, "There will be no talking him down."

"And we know how you love your words, Silvertongue," Helblindi chuckled darkly as his Giants laughed.

"Should we go to war you will lose as much as I...but...if you listen to me, we each stand to gain something."

"...I'm listening," the giant prince narrowed his eyes.

"Jotunheim, I'm told is a mere shadow of its former self, Laufey's defeat by my father's hand casts a deep darkness over this place. Perhaps...a new king...could change that."

"A new king?" Helblindi frowned, "You mean to place an Asgardian puppet on the throne that is rightfully mine?!"

"No, good prince, I mean to place you on the throne that is rightfully yours," Loki sighed.

"...You scheme against my father?"

"I do not scheme," Loki shrugged. "I only fear that Laufey may be met with...some tragic accident. Though I know that have more than once attempted his life it is true that accidents will happen," he said.

"If I do, what am I to expect from you?"

"The throne is not enough?" Loki grinned.

"What if I do this, I take the throne and I take Asgard anyway?"

"And we slaughter each other in the process. I promise you that if every Asgardian soldier falls in defence of my Realm, I will burn whatever remains before you take one step towards the throne. And my last act would be to will destroy that which is kept hidden deep inside the vaults, you will have destroyed the one thing that you and yours desire above all else. No one would praise your actions then. You would rule over two desolate, useless Realms and be king of none," the trickster sneered.

Helblindi sneered down at him in frustration and understanding, "Well played, Silvertongue."

"Laufey made a desperate bid for it most recently and it only served to emphasise your sense of loss...so how well would it look if you were the one who returned it to your people where he has failed for so long? King Helblindi of the restored Jotunheim, champion of all Jotun's, master of the Casket of his forefathers," Loki finished grandly, seeing happily, that his 'brother' was grinning greedily.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Your father will make his move against Odin soon, you will accompany him, you and your most loyal soldiers and you will stop him with me in Asgard as he makes his move."

"And then?"

"Then you surrender and 'convince' me that your people have had a change of heart."

"Then you hand over the Casket?"

"I should want something in return," Loki said. "So far this is a very one sided deal; you will have your throne, eventually, your Casket and with only one life lost in the process, meanwhile I avert war and nothing else. Surely you see that this is unfair."

"What would you ask of us?! We have little to offer that would impress an Asgardian," the giant scoffed.

"Think of it as a debt for now but you must act quickly...Double cross me, however," he began and raised his staff so that the pointed end dug into Helblindi's large jugular, "I will destroy you and this frozen rock you call home before you can draw another breath. Are we clear?"

"Perfectly, now remove that stick before I break it," the giant growled.

Loki took a step back and lowered the end of the staff to the frozen ground again, "Excellent," he smiled serenely, "I'll expect to hear from you soon then," he added and the giant nodded.

They watched the Giants retreat and a collective sigh of relief washed over the Warriors as they turned to Loki.

"What was that?!" Sif demanded finally.

"Not here," Loki said, turning to the snow filled sky, "Heimdall!" he cried, "Open the Bifrost!"

* * *

"You let those Frost Giants into Asgard!" Sif yelled once they were safely inside the warm, golden light of the Bifrost again under Hemdall's watchful eyes.

"Yes, I did," Loki said, "I did what was necessary. Father clearly agreed with me; Thor was not ready to be king. He refused to see that, so I made him see."

"And you are better suited for the throne?" Volstagg scoffed.

"Perhaps not, but I didn't intend this. I wasn't to know that father would enter the Odinsleep nor did I intend for Thor to be banished."

"And now you conspire against your own father!"

"Odin will not be harmed. The world is not as black and white as you believe," Loki rolled his eyes. "If it were, we'd all be marching to war right now for the 'honour and glory' of Asgard and thousands would die. Is that what you want?"

"Trickery and lies are not the way to win a war!" Sif yelled.

"I'm not trying to win a war, I'm trying to prevent one. Perhaps you four and Thor revelled in the tales of old glorious battles but you forget the cost. Remember the words Odin would always dread to say...'the cost was great'...how convenient for him to neglect to tell us that cost. If you Warriors read a little more, then you'd know just what that cost was, you'd know just how many lives both mortal and Asgardian were lost in that war! Every name is etched into the hall of records and I have read them all! Battle is no great thing...my friends..." he scoffed. "And you scorn my ways, will you call me weak again? Am I a coward?"

"When you put it what way..." Fandral sighed heavily, "I don't agree with what you did at the coronation. But trying to avoid war alone is as courageous as fighting in one...maybe more so...if I can help in any way...I will."

"And I," Hogun said.

"I as well," Volstagg nodded, "But, I would ask one thing..."

"What is that?"

"Let us speak to Thor, let us travel to Midgard and..."

"I have already spoken to him," Loki said.

"When?" he asked.

"Before we left for Jotunheim, an illusion only, but he knows about father and about the threat of war."

"You can project an illusion in another realm?" Hogun couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Yes," Loki met his disbelieving gaze with eyes of cold steel.

"Will you permit us to speak to Thor?" Sif reiterated after a moment and Loki sighed.

"Do as you wish, but make it quick, report back to me when you return," he told them and gave an almost imperceptible nod to Heimdall who sent them off without another word using his mighty sword and a flash of light.

"And what of you, Gatekeeper?" Loki turned to the golden eyed man once they were alone.

"You concealed those Jotun from my sight purely to cause mischief at the coronation," he stated.

"That has already been established and I did so with ease, but I assume you saw all that was said in Jotunheim, I concealed nothing this time."

"I saw," the man nodded once.

"And? Do you see me as a threat? Or am I your king?"

"You are my king and I am your loyal servant. Though many would perceive your actions as dishonourable, if you are sincere, then attempting to prevent a needless loss of life is to be commended, not scorned."

"If I am sincere?" Loki repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I can see a great many things but I cannot see into men's minds. Only time will tell if you are sincere in your actions."

* * *

Sometime later the shock of seeing the Warriors Three and Lady Sif, hadn't quite worn off on Jane, Darcy and Erik as they sat around the table which they'd only just had their breakfast at. It was a surreal situation and it was difficult now to deny the truth in Thor's words.

"...Loki is powerful and he is clever," the powerless god breathed, once his friends had spoken, "That...is good...we should not judge him, he seems to make a much better king than I would have..."

"Maybe not so clever, Thor," Sif said, "It was he who let in the Frost Giants to ruin your coronation."

"...Why?"

"He said you...weren't ready to be king..." Hogun answered.

"And he was right," Thor sighed sadly, "Even if he did let them in, what happened after all my own doing. I am responsible for this threat of war. It is because of my misguided pride...my arrogance that war looms over our heads. My brother is wise to try to avoid it."

"If he is at all," Sif said. "He's always been jealous of you. How do we know this isn't simply another trick? He's using the Allfather as bait!"

"To stop a war, I think my father would condone such an action," Thor replied.

"Well, I..." Fandral began before the doors burst open and they were stormed by one man in a suit and several in black soldier's uniforms.

"Nobody move!" Agent Coulson said, raising his arms, showing that he was unarmed, "I don't think you've been completely honest with us," he said to Thor.

"Well, this can't be good," Volstagg muttered to himself.

"They're mortal, I say we take them," Sif muttered back.

"No!" Thor yelled, "There will be no fighting...son of Coul, I will tell you all," he said.

* * *

It was the middle of the night, or as dark as Asgard was able to get, and Loki was pacing the length of the library. He'd long since discarded his cloak over a chair, his helmet was resting on a table and his golden gauntlets and shoulder pieces were scattered around as well as Gungnir which was propped up against a large bookcase.

This place was a sanctuary to Loki, it was a place he'd often found solitude as a boy when others shunned him for being different. He'd never wanted to learn to fight with weapons, rather he'd wanted to learn magic and been ridiculed for it. Thor was oftentimes ones of those who'd cruelly laughed at him for being so, but he was also the older brother who'd comforted him an equal number of times after such events.

Loki couldn't deny that living in Thor's shadow had been difficult, Odin had always compared him to his favourite, first born golden child who couldn't do anything wrong while Loki only ever disappointed him. Of course, now he knew why; Odin wasn't his father and Loki wasn't his son, he was a tool to be used and nothing more. He had a chance to destroy both of them and indeed, why shouldn't he? It would be easy, though he knew that if his plan failed and if there was outright war with Jotunheim, then he'd need Thor's brute strength to win it. If he could find a way for Thor to earn back his power, he could work it to his advantage.

"Loki?" a worried voice spoke and he turned, stopping in his tracks, "I thought I'd find you here," Frigga said, stepping forwards. It didn't the perceptiveness of a mother to see his agitation and frustration. "You need to sleep, Loki, you look exhausted," she told him.

"I don't have time for sleep, but perhaps you can help me," he said quickly.

"With what?"

"How does one prove one's worth?" he muttered.

"What?" Frigga frowned.

"How can you prove that you are worthy when you are powerless?"

"Well," she began, "Usually when people think of this, they believe that worth and power can only be shown through acts of great strength, but strength doesn't have to mean brute force. Strength shows itself is many ways. I presume...in this instance...you're talking about your brother..."

"He's not my brother!" Loki hissed.

"Then am I not your mother?" she asked quietly, standing before him now and taking his hands in hers.

Loki sighed and turned away, "Help me or leave me...please," he muttered, "I can't...I don't want to..."

"Loki, listen to me, my child," she said, taking his face in her face, forcing him to look at her. "You are my son and I love you, your father loves you and your brother loves you. You are not alone."

"Odin only took me to use me, he didn't act out of pity!" he cried.

"He took you to save your life! He did it out of love! We knew we should have told you...but we loved you so much that we couldn't bear to."

"I...I don't have time for this...for any of this," Loki shook his head and shrugged out of her gentle grasp, "Not yet."

"Loki, I..."

"My king," a guard spoke from outside the door, stopping her from speaking further.

"What?" Loki demanded.

"The Warriors have returned, your majesty, they await you in the throne room."

"Returned?" Frigga questioned her son, "From where?"

"From Midgard, they requested to see Thor," he explained.

"You..."

"They would have gone with or without my permission, even Heimdall seems to favour Thor over me, he would have found some way to send them," he shrugged.

"That is not..."

"Don't," Loki stopped her and he began to snap his golden armour back into place, piece by piece with practiced ease. "I must see to the Warriors," he said once he was done and he placed his helmet atop his head, swung his cloak around his shoulders and wrapped his fingers around the golden staff. "You should rest...Odin won't wake any quicker for you watching over him every second of his sleep," he said before he strode out of the room.

* * *

Loki teleported himself into the throne room, sitting on high as the four Warriors stood patiently waiting for his arrival and he was pleased at their reaction. He sat regally in the throne, even the two guards on either side of him glanced back in shock to see that he had appeared suddenly.

"Well?" he raised an expectant eyebrow at them and they dropped to their knees respectfully.

"Thor is well, your majesty," Fandral began, "We told him of your plan to avoid war and he approves."

"Oh, well, that is a relief, indeed, to know that he 'approves'."

"He is...changed..." Volstagg said.

"Evidently."

"There is something more," Fandral said, standing up and the others followed his lead. "There is a man, son of Coul, he works for a mortal group called S.H.I.E.L.D..."

"And what is this?"

"It is a gathering of mortal Warriors who seek to protect their world," Sif answered. "They intervened when Thor's hammer was found and when he himself was discovered. They know all now."

"Hmmm," Loki breathed, "Are they hostile?"

"Thor says not, though their methods..." Hogun said. "They claimed ownership of Mjölnir when they had no right, they stole a scholar's research..."

"Son of Coul gave his word to return it once the situation was explained," Volstagg pointed out.

"And they took custody of Thor and questioned him, kept him as prisoner..." Sif added.

"So they are cautious," Loki mused, "And clever. Are they strong?"

"For mortals, perhaps they are well armed for their new...age, but for us, no," Fandral said.

"Yes, they have evolved quickly, haven't they," he murmured.

"L...my king?" Volstagg questioned.

"So, they are Thor's allies?" Loki asked.

"Yes," Hogun nodded, "They took him and his new acquaintances to the meeting place of their agency."

"I see. And their aim is to protect Midgard, yes?"

"Yes."

"In that case I may not need to interfere at all. Thor is reckless, he'll risk his life to save another. Regardless of his pride, Odin made sure he was chivalrous."

"You'd allow him to risk his life?!" Sif demanded.

"Do calm down my lady, and think for one moment. Odin declared that Thor must prove his worth to earn back his power, what better way than to save another at the cost of your own?"

"Thor must die?" Fandral frowned.

"Thor must prove his worth, can you think of a better way for him to do so?"

"How long have you known this?" Hogun asked.

"It only recently occurred to me," Loki confessed. "Acts of great strength," he repeated his mother's words, "Regardless of what that strength is, are how we prove ourselves. So simple," he breathed. "We all know, that Thor is strong, it shouldn't take too long for him to try and prove that to the mortals. Heimdall is watching him, once his power is returned to him, the Bifrost will be open to him once again. In the meantime, I expect your full support in preventing war," he said to them.

The four of them nodded slowly and raised their fists to their chests in a gesture of respect before they turned and left.

* * *

Heimdall, under Loki's orders, had vacated the Bifrost which allowed the King to transport Laufey, his son and his soldiers, into the Realm, unchecked. Using his staff, he closed the bridge when the group of Giants stood before him.

"Welcome to Asgard," he grinned at them, "This way," he said, casting an illusion charm over them all as he lead them across the bridge.

* * *

"Good day, little Queen," Laufey chuckled, his sword drawn as he and his soldiers entered Odin's bedchamber.

Frigga pulled a sword from her sleeping husband's bedside and took down the first giant that approached with a sweeping slash across its chest but a second and third overwhelmed her and she was forced to the ground, her weapon shattered by their brute strength.

Laufey himself then stepped through the door, his eyes greedily eyeing the powerless enemy before him as his fingers tightened around his old sword. "I've waited a long time for this...old friend," he grinned and raised his weapon.

Helblindi's eyes tensely took in everyone around him until he heard a voice in his head that wasn't his own, 'do it now, you fool!' it yelled and he acted like lightning. He shoved his father aside just before his great weapon could pierce the unguarded chest of the Asgardian king and the giant landed hard against the wall, an expression of pure shock on his face.

"Enough!" Loki cried, a wave of cold energy bursting out from his staff as he advanced into the room

"You!" Laufey growled, jumping to his feet. He moved to swing his sword at the trickster but it met with the weapon of his son, the clash echoing loudly. "Traitor!" he accused his heir who said nothing.

Loki banged his staff against the floor again, seeing another wave of powerful magic with threw them all to their knees. It gave Helblindi enough time to kick his father down into his back and, without hesitation, he plunged his sword into his father's heart, killing him all but instantly. He then relinquished his hold on the hilt and stood with his palms spread open and ordered his solider to drop their weapons, which they did.

Loud clamours echoed as a handful of Asgardian soldiers took in the sight of the Giants that stood before their king, "Peace, Asgardian," Helblindi spoke, "We mean you no harm."

"Take them," Loki ordered his men and the Giants complied wordlessly.

* * *

"So, prince of Jotunheim," Loki spoke from atop his throne, loud enough for the entire court to hear his address to his 'prisoner'. "You turned traitor against your father of your own accord?"

"I did, my father could not see that a war between our peoples will gain us nothing. I do not want war. So I joined my father to stop him," Helblindi said.

"How did you get here?" Loki asked, a final test for the Frost Giant.

"The same way as the previous invaders, King Loki, an all but forgotten remnant of the Casket, it had enough power for their journey and ours."

"You will not object to a stay in my dungeons while council convenes?" Loki asked him politely over the loud protests of the court.

"To keep the peace," the prince said, "Very well."

* * *

"Enough!" Loki yelled once Helblindi and his soldiers had been lead away. "You have heard what happened and you have heard the words of the prince of the Jotuns. What say you, council?"

"It is clearly a trick!" someone yelled out.

"A trick to imprison himself in the dungeons?" Loki raised an eyebrow.

"They meant to kill the Allfather!" another cried.

"Laufey meant to kill the Allfather, his son meant to save him," a third voice said, "Why would he risk so much if he were untruthful?"

"Laufey is dead," Loki said, his voice rising above theirs, "The Allfather lives still."

"Mayhap the prince did this to save his own life. He turned on his own father the moment that you majesty and the royal guard stormed the Allfather's chamber!"

"So we should condemn him?" a strong voice in the crowd said. "Their king is dead and their prince is captured, they would wage war on those principles alone."

"Then what is there to do?!" a clamour of voices cried.

"He wants peace!"

"They want nothing but war!" the voices continued to protest but they stopped when Loki banged the staff again.

"Wars have uncertain outcomes," he said, "I do not wish to repeat the losses of the past. I will fight if necessary, but you must decide. The prince murdered his father to save mine knowing full well that he would be at the mercy of Asgard, do those actions speak of a war like mind?"

"Sire, if I might..." an old voice spoke and Loki nodded in the direction of one of Odin's most trusted advisors. "Last time there was no choice but to march to war, we have a choice now. There was been nothing but centuries of hostility between our two Realms since then. I believe this is an opportune moment to create a lasting peace."

"Peace!" many people repeated incredulously.

"There can be no peace with such monsters!"

"So you will have war?" Loki raised an eyebrow, "You will bring war on your sons and your daughters?"

"All our opinions mean little if we do nothing but argue back and forth between ourselves. What is the king's decision?" another advisor asked.

"I will speak to the son of Laufey alone," he rose gracefully from the throne, "Council will await my decision," he said, descending the stairs.

* * *

Loki strode with confidence and purpose into the dungeons which had been magically altered to allow the giants to enter and stand with ease. It was the largest congregation of cells in the entire Realm and as such it was capable of holding a number of powerful Frost Giants.

"Leave us," he told the guards who bowed and left without a word.

"So, is there chaos?" the prince of the Giants asked him as Loki turned to face him.

"Oh, yes," he chuckled, "You played your part well."

"As did you," Helblindi remarked, "One would think you genuinely cared about Odin."

"As you cared for Laufey?" Loki tilted his head and the giant laughed.

"I like you, little Asgardian," the prince grinned, "I will have peace with you."

"Then you shall have your freedom and your throne. Any internal rebellions are yours to quell but I trust you will have little difficulty."

"I can deal with anything stupid enough to oppose me. But what happens when you are king no longer. I know the tales of the Odinsleep, he will awake and you will be powerless."

"Let me worry about that when the time comes," Loki dismissed his concerned.

"As you wish," the giant shrugged, "Now, are you going to release me from this prison?"

"I've little experience with negotiating a truce, but I believe it should take longer than five minutes to convince a stubborn Frost Giant, don't you?" he replied.

* * *

Over two hours later, Loki emerged with Helblindi at his side as they entered the throne room and sent a shockwave of confusion throughout the court.

"Silence!" Loki yelled, "It is decided! Let there be no more talk of war between Asgard and Jotunheim. Let there be peace!" he said grandly and the chaos was transformed into cheer.

* * *

While Asgard celebrated and feasted the peace between the Realms, Loki stood at Odin's bedside with Frigga sitting beside her husband, her eyes full of fear as she glanced at her son. His manner spoke of repressed anger and rage and when he finally spoke, she was proven correct.

"I did exactly what he intended," he sneered. "He took me so that he could make a lasting peace and I have played into his hands! I'm nothing but his puppet just as he intended all along!"

"What you did took courage, Loki," she corrected him.

"I should have destroyed them all!"

"No..."

"Instead I have revenged myself upon the father that never wanted me and I have forged myself as a champion of a people's to whom I do not belong. Now all that remains is my revenge upon Odin for his lies."

"Then you must get your revenge on me," Frigga stood, "For I lied to you as well. I tried so many times to tell you..."

"Who else knows?"

"Heimdall and healer Asolg, that is all," she answered.

"The Gatekeeper?"

"He was there when Odin brought you here," Frigga said. "You were almost starved to death, you wouldn't stop crying...but when I held you...you stopped. I loved you the second I saw you. So did your father..."

"He's not my father!" Loki cried, his expression doing nothing to conceal his anguish.

"He has loved you these many years..."

"Then why did he not say it?! I was always second best to Thor, the golden child, Thor, the favourite child, Thor, that could do no wrong! The only words I received were, Loki, why can't you be more like Thor? Loki, you should learn to fight, like Thor! Loki, magic is for the weak, you need a weapon, like Thor!" he bellowed.

"Loki!" Frigga cried, embracing her shaking son, "Odin loves you! I love you! We did you a great wrong by keeping the truth from you..."

"You lie! You could never love a Frost Giant!" Loki hissed, pushing back from her arms.

Now that he knew it was only ever an illusion, he closed his eyes and let his blue skin emerge and it obliterated his pale complexion rapidly. When he opened his eyes, they were blood red and his skin was marked with the symbols of a Frost Giant. "Look at me! I am the monster in the old tales! I'm neither of Jotunheim nor of Asgard! It's why I was never as good as Thor! It's why everything I did never meant anything!"

"Is this truly what you believe? My son, you are no monster. The Frost Giants are not monsters any more than the Asgardians are. Any individual can be a monster but it cannot apply to an entire race..."

"Then why did you never try and dissuade Thor and I from thinking so?!"

"Did you ever hear us refer to Frost Giants as monsters?"

"That's not the point! You did nothing to contradict the stories that said they were! I grew up listening to those stories! Thor dreamt of the glory he would achieve by slaying them all when we were children! Would it have changed his opinion if he knew that his own 'brother' should have been at the receiving end of his blade?!" he raged, storming around the room.

"Enough!" Frigga exclaimed, bringing his attention back to her. "Perhaps you are right, we should have done more to discourage those thoughts...but the more time that past the easier it was to convince even myself that I had borne you. I never meant to cause you such pain."

"I'm a fool," he scoffed ruefully. "It was always clear that I was different...but I never thought..."

"We are all different, we all have our strengths and our weaknesses," she told him. "We all live and we all die. There is nothing wrong with you, you are not a monster, you are the child that your father and I raised, you are our son," she placed a gentle hand on his cheek.

"I cannot stay here..." Loki muttered, "Once Odin wakes...or when Thor returns, I will leave."

"Why?"

"I need...time...time away from this place," he answered, "Odin was 'generous' enough to let Thor leave to learn his lesson, surely he'll be glad to be rid of me under the circumstances..."

"My darling boy," she gave a sad smile, "Whatever you decide, never forget that you are loved."


	2. Loki's Chance

**Loki's Chance**

 **Summary** \- After two months, Odin finally awakes and Loki leaves Asgard for Earth with a very specific purpose in mind.

* * *

It had been a long two months for Loki during which time he wanted nothing more than to flee the golden shores of Asgard, leaving behind all duties that were not his own and the lies that followed him still. With Thor still banished to Midgard, Loki was pestered almost daily by the Warriors but each time he told them that he did in fact have a plan. He just wasn't going to do anything about it until it was time for him to leave, which, as it turned out, was now upon him.

Odin had awoken and after he was briefed on all that had happened in his absence, he summoned Loki to his chamber. His son arrived in all his regal splendour and stood before the Allfather, holding the royal staff, his posture tense as the doors closed behind him.

"My son, you did well," Odin said, "I have been informed of every decision you made these past two months. You made me proud."

"Proud of a Frost Giant runt," Loki scoffed, "How noble of you, Allfather."

"Please..."

"No, Odin, I have waited two very long months for this," he sneered. "It is time you answer for what you did!"

"I did answer, I told you, as you mother has. I took you out of mercy, if I hadn't done what I did, you wouldn't be here now to hate me."

"Is it any wonder I am Lord of Lies...when I learned from the best?"

"Loki," Frigga breathed sadly.

"You love your mother still and yet you hate me," Odin remarked.

"You have always favoured Thor," Loki told him, "Always. But I have fulfilled your purpose for me. I have created that peace which you always intended me to...I have suffered the dark effects of your lies for long enough," he said. "I have done what was required, you are well now and you are king," he added, walking over to Odin and handing him the staff back.

The still tired man, took it and lay it across his legs without breaking eye contact with his son. "And I am leaving," Loki told him.

"Where will you go?" Odin asked.

"You don't even try to stop me," Loki tilted his head.

"I have no hope of succeeding where your mother has failed. Once your mind is made up there is no dissuading you, you always were stubborn," he said fondly.

"I leave tonight," the God of mischief remarked and turned to leave, taking a few steps towards the door. "One last thing," he said, looking back. "As part of the truce, the Frost Giants were promised the return of their Casket, as I'm sure you know, after a period of ten years, provided that the Asgardians are satisfied."

"I know this," Odin sighed heavily, "I trust you know what they will be capable of once it is returned to them."

"Of course I do."

"I cannot simply deliver it to them," the king said.

"Then you risk war and you undo all my work," Loki replied bluntly, "The choice is yours now. Helblindi is...perhaps not the cleverest of beings, but he will honour our agreement. Will you? Or are the Frost Giants still a monstrous race of dishonourable creatures who will double cross you once they have what they want?"

"I never said that."

"I care nothing for what you think about them, they're not my kin regardless of whose blood flows in my veins. They abandoned me and you lied to me. I have no kin," he declared before he threw open the doors and stormed away.

A single tear dropped from Frigga's eye and her husband turned to share her sorrow filled expression.

* * *

"My son, you do not have to do this," Frigga begged him that night in his rooms. Loki was slipping one of his thin journals into his clothes, for it contained the location of every secret pathway between the worlds that he had discovered. He would have need of it soon and he didn't want it falling into anyone's hands but his own.

"Yes, I do," he sighed, "Fear not, Thor will be returning soon."

"How do you know that?"

"My last act as his brother will be to give him the opportunity to prove his worth."

"You have...been planning this for some time?"

"Yes," he nodded, "Although, to be perfectly honest, I didn't think I'd need to intervene. Thor was always the 'hero', I can't believe it's taking him so long to prove it. He needs some encouragement and I will provide it now that I am free of my royal chains...And you might as well inform the Warriors. Their constant pestering has done nothing for my fragile sanity these last two months," he scoffed. "Their beloved Thor will return to them and I will be gone. While I do hate to be making them so happy..."

"Loki!"

"It is necessary," he finished, as though she'd said nothing at all.

"What do you intend?" she asked.

"Just a simple show of strength," Loki said, "I daren't risk anything too complex. Thor might miss the point entirely," he added. "I don't care what you tell the court in regards to my absence," he said after a moment and began to route through a drawer where he found a simple black piece of string, on which hung a protective amulet blessed by the Light Elves on one of his many secret journeys through the Realms. Loki placed the necklace around his neck and hid the amulet under the chest piece of his armour before he turned to his mother. "I don't know if I'll come back," he told her.

Frigga gave slow, disbelieving nods and took his hands in hers, "Please...please be careful...I don't want you hurt..."

"I've left Asgard before and I'm more than able to defend myself," he remarked.

"I know," she said, hugging him tightly.

"Goodbye..." Loki breathed, pulling back after a moment.

"Loki," she stopped him, grasping his arms, "I love you, don't ever forget that."

He nodded briefly before he gently shook off her arms, took a step backwards and promptly vanished before her eyes, teleporting away, leaving her alone.

* * *

Loki's first destination was Midgard where he sought out his powerless 'brother' and found him living in a mansion suspended on a cliff overlooking the sea in North America with a man whom he had been informed was called 'Man of Iron' when the Warriors had reported back to him not long ago. They'd met with Thor and with S.H.I.E.L.D and they'd met others who were different, people who used their abilities to protect the mortal Realm and all had been reported to Loki. He'd been careful to learn as much as he could, as always, knowledge was power.

When he entered the building, concealed by magic, Loki found that there were others living there as well. A woman called 'Pepper' and the scientists that Thor had met when he'd first been sent to earth. He didn't spend long inside the building and he left quickly.

His next step was find Bruce Banner which took him some considerable time, but he did it. He found the scientist living pitifully and alone in a dark, subterranean building provided by S.H.I.E.L.D, where he hid even from himself and Loki wasted no time in casting a simple sleeping spell. The dark haired man fell asleep where he stood and fell to the ground, a dead weight.

With a grin of satisfaction, Loki transported them both back to California, in the middle of a large, open park. Luckily, a simple illusion charm made sure that they weren't seen by the people walking aimlessly by in the mid-morning sun. He placed his hands on either side of the mortal's head and seconds later he was writhing from the nightmarish vision that he was now seeing. His head began to toss violently from one side to the other and his moans of protest turned into animalistic growls and hisses and his skin began to take on a sickly, green tinge.

His work done, Loki stepped back to conceal himself behind a large tree and watched the small, unassuming mortal, transform into a creature that would rival any fully grown Frost Giant. Its green muscles were huge and it was clearly confused as it stumbled around for a moment as though trying to get its bearings.

Loki took one of his daggers and using his magic, he threw it at the creature, the blade sliced its muscled shoulder blade and then came soaring back to do the same thing again and again. As intended, this served only to enrage the beast and it began to spin furiously on its huge feet, trying to find its 'enemy.'

So, without a word, Loki removed the illusion and when the screams of panic started instantly, the creature was enraged further, letting out a roar of anger. It began to smash its fists into the ground. It pulled a bench from the ground and threw it at a large building and it uprooted trees as well, tearing them apart with its bare hands as people ran in all directions in a frantic panic.

"Hands on the ground, Hulk!" a uniformed officer ordered, pointing his gun, uselessly as three others did the same beside him.

"Grrrrrrr!" the green creature only growled in response and smashed its hands on the ground again causing a small earthquake.

"Alright, back off, big guy!" a slightly echoed voice called out suddenly as Iron Man landed in front of the officers who scrambled to their feet again.

"Right on time," Loki smiled.

He'd heard tell of it many time, but he'd never actually seen the Iron Man's suit and though it lacked the elegance of Asgardian armour, Loki couldn't deny that it was impressive for a mortal creation.

"Bruce!" the man shouted, holding up his armour covered hands, "You don't wanna do this! Just calm down and everything'll... "

"Argh!" the beast hissed, clenching his fists as he roared.

"Worth a shot," the Iron Man shrugged with a sigh and preceded to fire a small blast of golden light from him palm. It sent the Hulk hurtling backwards but he recovered instantly and swatted Iron Man away as though he were little more than an annoying bug.

"You don't appear to be doing very well," Thor breathed heavily. He was standing a short distance away, ignoring the policemen telling him to move back as he watched his friend push himself up off the ground.

"Thor, what are you doing?!" the man yelled.

"I will not sit idly by while you fight!"

"Whoa!" Iron Man flew up into the air to avoid being squashed by Bruce. "Look, we barely got Fury on board with the whole 'let's let the God of Thunder stay with Iron Man for a while'...he'll have me grounded and suit-less if he finds out I let you anywhere near this fight! You guys, get him outta here!" he yelled at the officers.

"You cannot stop me," Thor shrugged them off.

"And you can't help!" Tony yelled back.

"I am tired of being treated like a powerless mortal!"

"You are a...arghhhhhh!" he broke off when the Hulk grabbed his wrist and flung him to the ground like a rag doll.

"Sir, the suit is not designed to withstand this kind of..." JARVIS began from inside the suit.

"Not helping, JARVIS!" Tony yelled as he was tossed up into the air and bright back down to the ground again.

Thor relied on brute strength, so it would take a show of brute strength in order for him to prove his worth. Loki knew that, hence, his little detour to retrieve the tower of strength before him. Perhaps he should feel guilty for manipulating the mortal's demons but it was the best and quickest way for Thor to prove himself. Really, what choice did he have?

With a magical nudge, Loki directed the Hulk's attention to the on looking crowd; it wasn't mind control, far from it, it was simply a suggestion, he could whisper words and plant shadows into people's minds only, but that was often all it took.

The Hulk threw Iron Man away, as though bored or even annoyed with him as he now turned his large eyes to the people who stood around them. Many had simply run off in fear, and rightly so, but others had chosen not to and for that, Loki was grateful because they made the perfect bait.

"Hulk...smash...little people..." the Hulk ground out.

"Thor, get 'em outta here!" Iron Man cried as he pushed himself up.

But before he could do anything further, the Hulk had advanced on the powerless crowd who now all had the presence of mind to start back away, despite the fact that it was slightly too late for that.

Thor ran to stand between the crowd and the Hulk, and for a moment he seemed to forget that he was lacking his usual strength, after all, a thousand years of having such powers couldn't be forgotten in the space of only two months, it was really more of a reflex than anything else.

"Go!" he yelled back at them while the Hulk fixed its eyes on him.

"Grrrrrrr..." the Hulk breathed.

"This ain't right!" someone from the crowd said suddenly, "Green dude's one o' the good guys!"

"Not today! Now I suggest you run!" Thor replied hastily watching in horror as the speaker stepped forwards.

It was a young man, dressed casually in messy jeans and a leather jacket but before he could say anything further, the Hulk raised one of his massive hands to attack him. Without thinking, Thor shoved the man aside and went to block the green fist that descended on him, without success and he was knocked to the ground with enough force to shatter his bones and then he was thrown like a feather-light rag doll and he went straight through a brick wall a few feet away and out through the other side of the building.

"Thor!" Tony yelled. He leapt up into the air and fired a quick blast at the Hulk, forcing him backwards but doing little in the way of damage. "JARVIS, gimme something to knock him out with!" he yelled.

"The rockets are not..." the AI began but he stopped when Tony was forced to leap aside to avoid being struck by the black, flying blur that rapidly zoomed past his head at a speed that defied all laws of physics.

"What the..." he muttered, confused.

A second later, there was a great clap of thunder and flashes of light shone, bright enough to outshine the sun in the morning sky. It struck the ground at the Hulk's feet and he leapt backwards, then roared at the lightning, seeing it as an enemy. But he wasn't given any time to react as he himself was struck by the next bolt that flashed down from the gathering storm clouds above their heads. The clouds were thick enough to block out the sun and the very air itself crackled with electricity.

The Hulk roared at the lighting that struck him, but even he couldn't defy Thor's power and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Thor then flew forwards, his clothes now changed into his Asgardian armour and cloak with Mjölnir in his right hand. He stared down at his defeated enemy before turning his attention to a silent Iron Man.

"Well done, brother," Loki murmured, before he disappeared.

"Nice threads, dude," Iron Man muttered after finding his voice.

"Thanks," Thor nodded.

"Guess this means you're worthy again, right?"

"It appears so."

"Y'know this means I'm gonna be in big trouble when Fury finds out I let you get within five feet of a Hulk'ed out Bruce Banner," Tony sighed. "Okay, okay...we, erm...we better take him back," Tony said, looking down at the now sleeping Bruce Banner. "What's he even doing here?" he muttered.

"This...transformation, it is involuntary, correct?" the God of Thunder asked, as though recalling something he'd been told previously.

"Usually, yeah."

"It is remarkable."

"Not for him, it's not."

* * *

After a celebration to mark Thor's return, Odin strode into the Bifrost and came to stand beside the Gatekeeper with a sombre expression.

"Well," Odin breathed heavily, "Can you see him?" he asked.

"You know I cannot," Heimdall answered, "He is concealed from us both, and that is no small achievement."

"He is responsible for Thor's return, is he not?"

"Yes, that is my belief."

"My wife informed me that Loki had planned from the beginning to aid his brother," the king said.

"He was well informed of the mortals that Thor met and there were times that he journeyed there, hidden from my sight."

"I wasn't aware that my son had such a power," Odin admitted.

"Was that not his intention; to hide it as long as he could?"

"Of course, it was..." he sighed, "I should have encouraged his talents more than I did..."

"Loki has always been different. I did warn you that the child would have...difficulties," Heimdall told him.

"I could not leave an innocent new born to die!"

"Nor would I condone such an action..."

"But you agree with Loki and my wife? You believe I should have told him what he was, what his own kin had done? What would that knowledge do to a child; to know that you were outcast the moment you were born? I did not want that on his mind as he grew."

"What will you tell Thor? The prince has many questions," the Gatekeeper said.

"I will tell him what I should have from the beginning, I will tell him the truth now."

"He will search for Loki whether he knows the truth or not," Heimdall pointed out.

"He will not find him."

"That will not likely deter him."

"No...Nor should it deter us," Odin said, "You will keep searching, as will I."

"Very well, my king," Heimdall nodded solemnly.

"I may very well lose the son that is left to me once he knows the truth," the king said and his companion remained silent, letting him speak, "But I know what you're thinking, my old friend...that this is my own making and I deserve nothing less."

"You told Loki that you took him so that he could one day forge an alliance...you lied to the God of Lies," Heimdall spoke after a moment.

"I did, and he believed me."

"Why did you lie?"

"He would have believed nothing else. He can't understand sometimes that deeds can be done purely out of emotion with no sense or care of the future. Maybe one day he will learn..."

"Or maybe his resentment will grow to encompass the Nine, not just you."

"You don't believe that, do you?"

"I think we all are guilty of underestimating Loki's power. I have no wish to be on the receiving end of his anger. He is capable of much destruction if he so chooses."

"He is also capable of great good."

"But at heart he is the God of Lies and Trickery..."

"At heart, he is my son," Odin corrected him.

"Let us hope, my king, that he knows that as surely as you do," the Gatekeeper replied, respectfully.

* * *

"Why were we not told?" Thor demanded sometime later. He was stood at the feet of the grand, golden throne as he looked up at his father with his mother standing at his side.

"It was thought to be in your best interests...both of you," Odin answered.

"Is it in Loki's best interest now to believe he doesn't know who he is?! I had no love for the Frost Giants, it is true...but we were always...they were thought to be monsters...barbaric creatures that care for nothing. Loki is...neither of those things," Thor said.

"I believed I was doing what was right for him..."

"Loki is my brother, I care not where he was born or to whom," the thunderer remarked.

"I am relieved to hear you say that," Frigga smiled.

"Have you any idea where he is?" Thor asked.

"None," Odin said, "Neither Heimdall nor I can track him."

"How is that possible? Heimdall sees all."

"Not all, clearly, but if anyone were to find a way to stay hidden, it **would** have to be Loki," the king sighed.

"I will not rest until I find him," Thor said.

"He does not wish to be found, Thor, you will not succeed," his father told him.

"I don't care. I owe it to my brother. I will not give up on him."

"Nor will we," Frigga told him.

"...I am glad you are returned to us, my son," Odin said after a moment, "Asgard needs a new king..."

"Father," Thor began slowly, "I leaned much during my banishment. Chiefly of all...I know now that I am not ready to be king, perhaps I never will be," he said.

"No good king is ever ready, Thor," Odin told his son, "But he sees his duty for what it is and he does the best he can with what he does know."

"I am a soldier, father," the thunderer reiterated. "I know my duty is to protect the Nine Realms and I will do so. But I cannot...I do not believe I can do it from where you sit."

For a moment, Odin was silent as he looked down at his son and then, he took a deep breath and released it before he spoke. "Is this my son speaking or the mortal woman he is falling love with?" he asked with no attempt at subtlety.

"Jane has nothing to do with this," Thor protested quickly.

"This is a bold decision...regardless of your reasons, I advise you to consider it."

"I will, but I want you to consider...that Loki is perhaps more suited to the throne than me. He understands diplomacy and court policy far better than I ever will. He ruled with honour and his actions saved many lives."

"That is all true, but he is not here."

"I vow to find him..."

"Even if you succeeded, even if you found your brother...can you honestly say that you could convince Loki to return to be king when he fled the moment I awoke?"

"He fled because he was lied to," Thor breathed, "I do not blame him!"

"Thor..." Frigga sighed.

"...I...am sorry, father, I only..."

"I understand, Thor," Odin shook his head. "It is all my doing. It is my fault that Loki is so lost...to us and to himself. But always I feared that if he knew the truth...he would not think of me and your mother...and you, as his family. We have raised him as we have raised you, from infancy...it is not possible for anyone to raise a child and not see them as your own."

"You have had a thousand years to come to terms with this, Loki has not. He may need...time."

"That is what he said," the queen told him.

"I do not have another thousand years in me, Thor," Odin said suddenly. "You were to be crowned because you are old enough to be king, but also because I am weakening."

"But, father, surely..."

"You know that we are not immortal and I am far from the young man I once was. Loki was king in the absence of us both and yes, he proved to be invaluable, but the line of succession is clear. You are my eldest son, you are to be king."

"...What if I refused?" Thor asked, curiously.

"That is your right," Odin answered, "But you have not been raised to shirk your duties."

"No, I have not, but I have a duty that is far more important than the throne and that is my duty to my brother," the thunderer said, "And that I can call Loki my brother is my honour. I know I am guilty of undervaluing him...I will not now abandon him so that I may rule as king."

"Your loyalty does you credit," the king conceded, "But you must understand..."

"Father, I'm aware of my duties," Thor snapped, "I don't do this because I want to inconvenience you, I'm doing this because it is the right thing."

"...As you wish, my son," Odin nodded after a moment of tense silence, "But there will come a day when Asgard must come first. Do not forget that when the time comes."

"I understand," the God of Thunder breathed sadly.


	3. Jane, Meet Luke

**Jane, Meet Luke**

 **Summary** \- Set some time after Thor gets his powers back. Loki, incognito, takes the time to speak to Jane one morning when she stops for coffee.

* * *

Jane Foster was sat alone at a dark wooden table in a cafe with an empty cappuccino cup to her right and an open note book open before her eyes. She'd been sitting in the spot for at least two hours now and the mid morning dinner rush had come and gone, leaving her as one of the few remaining customers. The fact that she was working on her theories and equations alone didn't bother her as much as it probably should, she'd been spending more and more of her time alone as the days passed.

Now that Thor had his powers back, he was spending increasing amounts of time in Asgard and, as a result, she was spending more time alone on Earth. He had more than once insisted that she join him but after the last time, Jane was reluctant, very reluctant. Odin, the king of Asgard, had made it quite clear that though he found her pleasant enough, he didn't want his son pledging himself to a mortal. Queen Frigga had dismissed her husbands 'stupidity' as she had called it, and had openly expressed that she found Jane to be a wonderful woman. She had said that the heart cannot help who it falls in love with.

"You look unhappy," a man suddenly commented.

Jane blinked up from her work to see a rather handsome, tanned man with short black curly hair and bright green eyes. He was dressed like all of the other people who worked in the cafe in black trousers, a white, long sleeved shirt and a black apron around his waist. In his hand he held a damp cloth of checkered fabric with which he'd just used to wipe a table behind her and in his other hand, he held an expertly stacked pile of empty saucers and cups.

"Do I?" she questioned after a moment after setting aside her pen.

"Just a little," he gave her a sheepish smile.

"...Maybe I am...a little..." Jane sighed.

"Ah," the man gave a slow nod, "Then I know just the thing," he said as he tucked the cloth into the pocket of his apron, freeing his left hand. He then concealed it behind his back and then brought forth a prefect red rose which he held out for her to take.

"For me?" Jane raised a confused eyebrow.

"Of course," the man shrugged, as she took the rose.

"...Why?"

"Because my job description happens to entail giving roses to deserving people," he answered, sarcastically and she couldn't help but smile.

"You know, they say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit."

"I find it quite amusing, actually," he replied happily.

"...Well, thank you," she said, "It was a...a nice surprise. Where did you learn to do tricks like that?" she asked, gesturing to the rose.

"How do you know that I don't walk around all day with roses in my pocket?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I'm pretty sure someone would notice," Jane laughed.

"Hmmm," he breathed, "Do you require more coffee?" he glanced down at her empty cup.

"Please," she nodded and he added her cup to his pile and left.

A minute later, he returned and placed a fresh cappuccino in front of her and the chocolate powder on the froth had somehow been made to form an elaborate symbol with spirals and straight lines running through them, it was perfectly symmetrical and almost star like in its shape. *1

"I thought it might help," the man explained, "It's an ancient symbol that invokes good fortune and happiness."

"Yeah...in old Norse mythology, how did you know that?" Jane looked up at him, stunned.

"My education was...thorough," he answered simply, "How did you?"

"I...have a friend...he's really into this kind of thing and he tells me all about it," she said.

"He sounds like an interesting friend."

"He's...away, right now."

"Ah, and this is why you are unhappy," he nodded.

"Did anyone ever tell you, you're really nosy," Jane furrowed her brow.

"Frequently, but I don't tend to listen."

"Won't you get in trouble for pestering the customers?"

"Not likely," he said, chuckling without explanation, "And I'm often told that in good company, people are less likely to be unhappy,"

"You don't sound like you really believe that," she replied.

"I'm not sure that I do," he admitted.

"And what makes you think that you count as 'good company'?"

"Because I'm the only one talking to you, right now I'm not up against any competition."

Jane let out a quiet exhale of humour before she took a sip of her new coffee, "Alright," she said after a moment. "Alright...maybe I could use some one to talk to," she said.

"No friends?"

"A few," she shrugged, "But they're...away..."

"It seems that many people of your acquaintance are 'away'? What do you do to drive them from you?"

"Thought you were supposed to be my 'good company'," Jane sighed. "And anyway...I was supposed to go with them...I just thought it best not to. I didn't see why I should ruin their fun."

"You don't seem like the type for self pity," he remarked.

"And how would you know?" she snapped, "You don't even know my name...and I don't know yours either."

"...Luke, my name is Luke," he said, sitting down in the chair opposite her.

"Jane," she replied.

He gave a brief nod and then turned his stunning green eyes towards her, "Maybe you should have gone with your friends...Jane," Luke said.

"I...can't...it's complicated."

"Most things usually are," he smiled, "I've never really had friends to speak of but from what I've seen they always seem to cause more problems than they solve."

"That's a very sad thing to say," she said slowly.

"Is it?" he asked, seeming to be genuinely surprised.

"Yes. Everyone needs friends," Jane told him, "We might not always get along but we need each other. It's not their fault that I'm unhappy right now, it's..."

"It's...what?"

"It's..." she sighed. She didn't know why she was talking so much with the man but it was nice to have some who seemed to want to talk to her. "It's...my friend...the one who tells me about old Norse mythology...his father doesn't exactly...like me," Jane said.

"Mmmm," Luke breathed, "I see."

"I don't know why I'm letting it get to me, I mean, I've only known Th...my friend for about four months now and I'm a grown woman, not a child, but..."

"You're...fond of him, your friend?"

"You could say that," she furrowed her brow.

"And his father makes you feel...inadequate?"

"...Maybe..." she muttered. "I feel like he's judged me just because I'm...different. I guess it's because I'm a...a foreigner...and he doesn't like it."

"So, now you're in hiding from him?"

"...Yeah..." Jane drew out the word, "Makes me sound like a coward, huh?"

"No," he shook his head, "It makes you sound logical. Why waste time in the company of someone who disapproves of you? If they see you as less than they are simply because of who you are, why should you want to see them?"

"...Shouldn't you be telling me to be brave and make him see how wrong he is?" Jane frowned, "Every one else has."

"Probably because they don't understand."

"You sound like **you** understand pretty well," she said.

"Maybe I do," he shot back.

"So...who made you feel...inadequate," Jane asked, using his word from earlier.

"...Everyone," Luke answered.

"And what did you do?"

"I left."

"You ever go back?"

"No."

"What about your family? Did you leave them, or..."

"I have no family," Luke snapped.

"None?" she asked, sadly, "None at all? No family, no friends...don't you get lonely?"

"Don't be stupid, of course I don't," he said in a cold, almost cruel tone, a shocking transformation from his good natured sarcasm and dry wit.

"...I don't believe you," Jane said.

Luke sighed and turned away for a moment and Jane was suddenly stuck by a feeling of pity for the man in front of her. For all his confident, well spoken words, he was alone and no one deserved to be alone.

"This...friend of yours, you've known him how long, four months? Isn't that a rather short period of time?" he asked, slowly turning his attention back to her.

"I guess so," she admitted. "But haven't you ever felt like you've known someone your whole life even though you haven't actually known each other for very long at all? We just...we get on really well, so well, and I..."

"You care a great deal about him," Luke inferred.

"Yeah, I do."

"This is why his father's opinion matters to you," he nodded in understanding, "You don't like the man yourself, but you..."

"I never said that," she stopped him, "From what I've...heard, he's a brave and smart man...I'd like to get to know him..."

"For what it's worth," he began, "I think you'd be better off forgetting about it all. What is it that people say...'life is too short'..."

"That'd be the easy way out," Jane said.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, I guess, but I've always been too stubborn for my own good."

"...Then why are you here and not there?"

"...I..."

"Being stubborn is all well and good, but what about being clever? What do you think about your friend? Are you simply wasting your time?"

"I really don't think you should be..."

"It's a simple enough question," Luke shrugged.

"...No, it isn't," Jane shook her head and sighed. "We're different...very different and I...I can understand why his father is worried. But surely it's our choice, not his..."

"Parents often feel the need to be...protective," he said the final word in an almost imperceptible sneer of hate.

"I know...I know that, I do..."

"Then what do you plan to do about it?" Luke asked her. "You could always leave. You have the choice to walk away. No one can force you to endure indignity and disapproval. You make your own choice."

"But if I leave...its what he wants...isn't he making the decision for me?" she furrowed her brow.

"Not necessarily."

"I don't think I could..." Jane admitted. "I lo...I care about..."

"Your friend," Luke said for her when it was clear that she wasn't going to say his name.

"Yes...and I...I can't just run away."

"Do as you will," he replied strangely and stood up suddenly, "I should go."

"Right...thank you...for talking to me," she smiled and he gave a small nod before he turned and left her alone again.

* * *

A while later, Jane packed away her things and walked across to the counter, giving a smile to the young blonde woman who was standing there.

"Excuse me," she called, "Where's Luke?"

"Luke?" the young woman repeated with a frown.

"Yeah, I'm going now and I just wanted to..."

"I don't know a Luke."

"But he works here...I was just talking to..."

"I can check, but honestly, I know everyone who works here and there's no one called Luke...What did he look like?"

"Tanned, curly black hair, green eyes..." Jane answered.

"...There's no one like that, I'm sorry...wait here..." she said and went into the kitchen through an adjoining door to her right and for a moment, Jane heard her talking to another woman. "No, there's no Luke who works here," she said when she returned, "I'm sorry, I don't know what happened, but..."

"I...okay, never mind, thank you," Jane nodded, confused and left, not wanting to stay and make herself appear more of a fool.

* * *

*1 I just made the symbol thing up. I've no idea if there really is a symbol for it, I just thought it was a cool idea.

* * *

A.N. My idea for this was that Loki is not only curious about the woman that Thor loves, but also that he's testing her. He's testing her intelligence, her patience and her love for Thor. It shows that he's chameleon like and he can blend anywhere, even in a cafe on Earth if it suits him.

I don't think, at this point, that Loki has much respect for humanity since we're so weak and powerless compared to him, but maybe that'll change.


	4. Different Kinds of Imprisonment

**Different Kinds of Imprisonment**

 **Summary** \- Loki is held captive by powerful Mountain Trolls. After escaping, he then finds himself in Jotunheim where he meets a tribe of Otaga (Wolf people)

* * *

 **Part I**

* * *

It had been entirely unexpected and that was what galled Loki the most. It took great skill to not only surprise him, but also to carry out a sneak attack successfully. But that was what had happened.

The Mountain Trolls of Vanaheim were distant cousins of the Rock Trolls, the most infamous of the Troll Lords and they were very different from Trolls of any other realm. Loki had been able to avoid them as he'd been avoiding any kind of settlement for over six weeks until they'd found him. He'd been living in the woods, alone, when they'd taken him. His magic had been bound and with his small stature in comparison to their bulk and stature, he hadn't been able to do much of anything.

Powerful though they were, Mountain Trolls were not exactly intelligent, but evidently they'd known or sensed enough to know that his magic was his primary form of defence. But not his only one. Loki had killed three Trolls with his knives before he'd been subdued, a feat which would have impressed any battle hardened warrior.

* * *

Now, one week later, Loki was still without his power thanks to the magic repressing cuffs on his each of his four limbs as he hung by his wrists against a rough stone wall, his feet a mere inches off the ground in an almost taunting manner. He hadn't eaten since his capture and though that normally would affect him as badly, his gracious hosts had seen fit to torture him every day too.

He'd been beaten and whipped badly enough to tare his back into shreds expand every time a gust of wind cam in through the barred window it was enough to knock the bleeding skin across the stone, sending jolts of agony thorough his his body. Torture was nothing new to Loki, suffering and pain were old friends so he managed to muffle his cries of pain, at least while he was in hearing distance of any of the Trolls.

So far, they'd not made any demands of him or even kept up a verbal list of colourful insults, both of which he had come to expect in such situations. He'd come to recognise the routine and on his few accompanied 'trips' from what had been designated his cell through the small cave like, complex Loki believed he knew enough of its layout to locate his armour and knives and then escape. He'd been testing the limits of the magical restraints and as he heard the door creak open, it was time to act.

* * *

After snapping the chains holding him up, which was easy compared to shattering the cuffs restraining his magic, Loki preceded to twist the tough neck of the first Troll enough to break his neck. Then he slammed the head of the second Troll into the wall, shattering his skull. The third one that he knew now always waited behind the door then rushed in and Loki slammed the door shut on him, rendering him unconscious.

Now that the immediate threat was dealt with, the exhaustion and the pain set in, Loki resisted the urge to fall to his knees, knowing that if he fell, he'd never get back up. His magic was able to start healing the worst of the wounds now that it was free and it was a little easier to force himself to move down the corridor.

As before, it was dark, barely lit with torches at all for the Trolls here had excellent night vision, but luckily so did Loki. It was a byproduct of being borne of a race of beings which had adapted to a planet shrouded in an almost perpetual darkness, he'd discovered.

After a minute or so of silently passing through the shadows, Loki finally found his possessions and he smiled.

"Ahhhh," he breathed a sigh of relief at being reunited with his daggers.

He knew that it was foolish and sentimental but his attachment to his armour and weapons was not something that Loki could deny. He could have escaped without them, he could have reduced the risk of getting caught by simply abandoning them, but he couldn't. His armour had been gifted to him by his mother at his coming of age ceremony and his daggers had been presented ostensibly from the people of Asgard for their prince, but he knew that they'd come from Thor. He didn't like to think of it that way now because it meant that he was the one being sentimental.

Once his weapons were stowed safely inside his clothes, Loki snuck out of the room and began to make his way out of the complex. It was with great difficulty that he moved through the shadows when every one of his limbs practically screamed in protest but he did his best to ignore it. After all, if he was caught, he might not get another chance to escape at all.

It seemed to take an age but finally, he found himself squinting at the sunlight, standing on a ledge on a mountaintop. He was high in the clouds, so much so that he knew he had no way of climbing down and the fall to the ground would finish off whatever strength he had left.

So, he did the only thing he could. He turned himself into a small black bird and after a few pitiful attempts, Loki launched himself into the air, swerving around the crude weapons and arrows that came his way as the Trolls realised that he'd escaped.

After that it took him an entire day to locate a natural portal which would take him to another realm. He could sense that it was an unstable one, and Loki had no way of knowing where he'd end up. But anywhere had to be better than here.

* * *

 **Part II**

* * *

The world of the Frost Giants was in the midst of one of their worst winters in history, and as one could imagine, that was up against some difficult competition indeed. The temperature had dropped cold enough that it would freeze the very perspiration on the skin below layers of thick clothing on the body of anyone who was not of Jotun decent.

The escape from the Troll prison had left him more drained than he cared to admit which meant that he couldn't keep out the cold without resorting to his Jotun form, which he detested more than anything. So, with his blue skin and blood red eyes, he was able to roam the lands with little to no difficulty at all. There was no one around to see him so he didn't need to worry about being seen as he was.

His long, elaborate coat billowed behind him in the unforgiving winds and the snow whipped past him making his eyes water, but he didn't care. He hadn't really expected to come to this world anyway and the look on his face when the natural portal had landed him here had probably been priceless.

To journey through the Nine Realms, Loki had been using the natural magic that existed throughout the entirety of creation. This magic left ripples through the worlds, almost like doorways, and it allowed him to journey without putting any strain on his own powers. The trouble was, unless it was a portal he'd used before, he had no way of known where he'd end up, and Loki didn't presume for one moment that he'd used every single one of them. Sometimes they shifted as well, they were unreliable and it wasn't worth remembering half of them because of that. This time though, he couldn't really complain. He'd leapt into an unstable vortex to escape and hadn't cared at the time where he'd end up.

After several days of aimless wandering, Loki came across something he never thought he'd ever get to see in all his life. Even in Asgard there were stories, awe filled stories about it and much to the displeasure of his tutors, Loki had more than once expressed his desist to see such a phenomenon.

It was called the Audhol Crater, a giant valley that had grown inside the pock marked hole that detonated where a huge meteorite had once struck the land. It was a surreal sight to see the almost lush greenery that grew, shielded from the worst of the cruel elements above as the ground gradually lowered at his feet.

Throwing caution to the wind, Loki began a careful descent, using whatever plants were available to steady himself as snow and ice gradually gave way to fertile soil and grass. He wound his way through twisted trees that had grown on the hillside and stepped over rocks and holes in the uneven ground.

When he finally came across a flat surface he took a moment to observe his surroundings and that was when he heard it. The tell tale sound of a leaf crunching underfoot. Loki froze and let his eyes skim through the foliage that now surrounded him and he could made out at least a dozen sets of yellow eyes which were all trained on him.

At a guess, Loki would say that he had been expertly and rapidly surrounded by a large pack of Dire Wolves. These were not creatures to be trifled with; they stood at almost half his height and they were incredibly intelligent, they even had some small amount of magical resistance but not enough to worry Loki. He was a master of magic and no pack of wolves would ever be enough to defeat him.

As quietly as he could, Loki drew his daggers into his hands and he felt the careful trickle of magic as it pooled at his fingertips, ready to be used in his defence.

Slowly, one wolf stepped forwards and Loki could see that the animal was beautiful, it had white fur and its eyes were almost golden in their intensity, but it's beauty was irrelevant as it bared its fangs at him and growled. Loki scowled back, refusing to back down in because if he did, that would be a sign of weakness and he would certainly be killed, magic or no.

It seemed that time slowed as Loki's red eyes stared directly into the two golden orbs of the wolf when suddenly, without warning, it backed away and lay down on its front, wagging its tail behind him as though it were a domesticated dog and nothing more.

Loki furrowed his brow in confusion but he watched as the wolf turned its great head to stare at something behind him and Loki did the same.

"Greetings, Loki Silvertongue," an old voice spoke, but Loki refused the lower his daggers. "I sensed you coming and I thought it best to meet you before any bloodshed occurred," the man said as he stepped out into the moonlight.

He was indeed old, with pale, almost white skin, he wore elaborate clothes made from beautiful furs and his long white hair was braided back with small beads and faded ribbons platted into it. He held a staff of dark wood in his right hand and it bore the dual horns so associated with the Jotun at the top.

"How is it you know me?" Loki narrowed his red eyes at the old Otaga man. *1

"I know many things," the man replied enigmatically. "I am the all see'er for my tribe. My name is Radanon the Wise, advisor to my Lord Solvanin, Chief of the Otaga and I am here to offer you shelter and food...should you wish it."

"Do you offer me this, or does your Lord?" Loki asked carefully.

"My Lord does. When I saw you coming he was informed and bid me to come to you."

"...And if I refuse?"

"Then you will go on your way," Radanon replied.

"You have not been sent to dispatch me?"

"By no means."

"You can see me with your own eyes, you know what I am...and still you would extend this courtesy to me," Loki stated, confused.

"My people have no quarrel with the Frost Giants," he said calmly, "Nor have we with you."

"Many I have met find fault enough with me in knowing that I am Parton of Lies and Trickery."

"I see no reason to find fault with you," Radanon shrugged, "Have you with me?"

"...No," Loki answered after a moment, now lowering his hands and sheathing his weapons, "I will accept your offer."

Radanon inclined his head and turned around, "Then follow me," he said, walking away.

* * *

Loki was led deeper into the Crater, through trees and thick, nettled shrubbery to a wide opening in a cliff face. Inside he could see the gentle flicker of firelight and he followed his guide inside the cave, ignoring the stares of the pale skinned, armed guards that stood at the entrance.

The cave itself was huge, almost beyond comprehension, it seemed to go on forever with thick stalactites reaching from the roof of the cave to the floor, holding up the entire structure. There were hundreds of burning torches on the walls, giving the rock a warm glow and a womb like feel, contrasting greatly to the White empty wilderness outside.

There were hundreds of people, all pale skinned and dressed in furs and hides who stood as Radanon lead Loki into the cave to stand before a man who sat atop a pile of stone steps which had been draped with fabrics and furs. He was well muscles and his hair was dark, but there was little to set him apart from the others. Beside him sat a beautiful woman with thick red hair that trailed down her shoulders in little curls.

This, he assumed was the Chief and his wife, so Loki did the sensible thing; he gave a polite, courteous bow.

"Chief Solvanin," he said, "Most gracious Lord of the Otaga, I thank you for your kind offer of hospitality."

The man nodded and Loki raised his head, "It's not often that strangers drop into the Crater," he spoke, "For fear of our wolves. But we are a generous people, Prince Loki and you are welcome here. Word has long since reached us of your peace between the Jotun and the Asgardians and we are thankful that war was not necessary. Tonight...you will be my honoured guest. Tonight...we feast!" he cried and a great wave of excitement flooded the echo-prone cave.

* * *

To Loki it seemed unimaginable to be hosting a feast when the world was in the midst of a famine brought on by the unusually cold weather, but he said nothing. Who was he to tell these people what to do?

As he quickly discovered, Otaga threw feats to rival those he remembered on Asgard, granted the surroundings were different, but the atmosphere was the same. There was music and dancing, drinking and gambling and, inevitably fights, but nothing that left alone too injured.

Loki sat opposite Solvanin and his wife with a small fire between them and elaborate mugs of an ale that he'd never before tried, but one that he was certain he could quickly grow addicted to.

After days of wandering alone in a frozen wilderness, Loki couldn't deny that although the people around him must have ulterior motives for treating a stranger with such kindness, it gave him a confusing sense of contentment. Perhaps it was because no one here seemed to care about what he was.

Now, though, because of the warmer temperature, Loki had made his skin pale again and his eyes were a muted grey rather than striking red. He blended much more easily now but it hadn't stopped the Chief from staring at him.

"My appearance offends you?" Loki raised an eyebrow when he could no longer stand the man's unblinking gaze.

"...I was lead to believe that the Asgardian God of Lies was just that, an Æsir...but you are not," he replied.

"I was born a Frost Giant," Loki said, "That much is true."

"Hmmm," Solvanin breathed.

"But you are Asgardian?" the lady, Shalia, asked.

"I am what I am," Loki told her.

"And what is that?" the Chief frowned.

"...I'm," the God of Lies gave a rueful scoff, "I'm not exactly sure."

"Radanon tells me that you have been walking on this frozen rock for days," Solvanin remarked and Loki nodded. "Why?" he asked.

"That is my business."

"As you wish," the man shrugged. "But he was surprised to find you alive. The winter is harsh this year..."

"Every season here is winter," Loki sneered.

"True," the lady smiled, "Very true."

* * *

"We heard of your dealings with King Helblindi," the Chief remarked some time later, "You narrowly avoided war...or so they say."

"What of it?" Loki muttered, haughtily.

"It was very fortunate, wasn't it, that Laufey perished?"

"Indeed."

"Hmmm. We did not want to interfere. We are strong warriors but against the might of Asgard we would be wiped out. Laufey came to us when he was planning his war but so did his son, Helblindi gave us a different offer. By our old laws we are bound in servitude to the Jotun...they may have called on that to fight and my people would have been slaughtered."

"My priorities had nothing to do with the Otaga," Loki told him.

"I know that."

* * *

"Chief!" a shrill voice cried out, hours later as the feast had begun to wind down.

"What?!" Solvanin demanded as a young man, a guard from the front entrance, ran forwards, clutching a large gash on his arm.

"What is it?" Shalia asked.

"The Dwarves! The Blue Dwarves!" the guard replied.

Before he could say another word, Solvanin had leapt to his feet and had started running to the mouth of the cave.

"Blue Dwarves?" Loki raised an eyebrow but the people left around him were too busy rushing around, arming themselves to answer him.

* * *

Contrary to their name, Loki saw that the Blue Dwarves were not actually blue and he found himself slightly disappointed to discover that fact. They looked quite different to the Dwarves he'd seen before, they were slightly taller for one and their armour was fashioned out of hides rather than fine gold and silver which was scarce on Jotunheim. He did see however, that their name might have come from the fact that they could shoot blue ice from their fingertips which they were using to freeze the Otaga Warriors.

For a while, Loki stood in the shadows, deflecting the odd blast that happened to come his way, after all, he had no quarrel with these Dwarves, nor was he obligated to fight for the Otaga. It was much more interesting to simply observe the chaos. There was a time when he would perhaps had interfered and stopped the battle completely, but his time wandering alone had done nothing to soften his heart. Alone, Loki's anger had been left to fester and though it hadn't been a long time at all, it had been enough.

The Dwarves had chosen the best possible time to attack and so Loki knew that they had to have been watching the Otaga tribe exceptionally closely. In the midst of battle, opposing forces generally displayed only the deepest hatred towards their enemy, but these two species appeared to loathe each other completely and Loki had no way of knowing why.

Loki suddenly saw that Solvanin had been rendered weaponless and he was surrounded by six Dwarves and he seemed resigned to his fate as was the way of his people. He had been bested, despite the being outnumbered for it mattered not, and now he would accept death. But Loki acted quickly and sent a blast of green magic out which threw the Dwarves back, rendering them unconscious.

The Chief stared in shock for a moment before reaching for his weapon and turning back to see Loki standing there. He gave a nod of thanks in his direction before returning to the fight.

Loki was usually against the business of helping people, he had no qualms in interfering if it meant he could cause mischief but he and to admit he had been very hungry until the Chief of the Otaga had generously fed him. Now, his debt was repaid so he turned his back on the fight and resumed his place at the fire inside the cave, helping himself to the remnants of the ale and the food.

* * *

"Why did you aid me only to flee from the fight?!" Solvanin demanded once the battle was done. The Chief was breathing heavily and he was covered in blooded wounds, his clothes torn and ragged as he leant on his sword.

"I owe no allegiance to you or the Dwarves. But you showed me a kindness," Loki said simply, "So I returned the favour. That is all."

"They attacked to steal our food," Solvanin explained.

"Clearly they lost or you would not be standing here."

"You have powerful magic."

"I do."

"You could have stopped it!"

"I've already told you..." Loki began with a sigh but the Chief had hauled him to his feet, dropping his weapon in the process, and held Loki up by the front of his coat.

"Innocent men and women died out there and you feel nothing?!" he yelled. "While they were dying you were eating of the very food they were fighting to defend! You coward!"

Loki's eyes narrowed in anger and with a blast of energy, he forced Solvanin back, the strong gust of wind slamming the Otaga's bruised back against the wall of the cave.

"You dare insult me! I am a god!" Loki cried, his eyes glowing with magic.

"Then why did you allow innocents to die? What kind of God would do such a thing?!"

Loki closed his eyes and looked away in an uncharacteristic display of weakness. "I am not required to save every soul whose path I cross," he said. Indeed, why should he save everyone? There had been no one there to save him when he had been in need; that was just the way the universe worked. It was cruel and unforgiving. Just because he had power now it didn't meant that he was now required to save people...like Thor.

"You saved mine."

"I owed you a kindness."

"Did you not owe my people as well? They gave you their food. They sang and danced in your presence. You spoke to them. You saw that they were good and kind people!"

"Good and kind people suffer every day. Is it not your duty to protect your people?"

"Is it not a god's duty to provide aid where he can?" Solvanin demanded.

"Oh?!" Loki sneered, "And who aids the gods when they need it? Where was my aid when I was..." he broke off, not about to tell of his recent bout of torture.

"...What?"

"Nothing!"

"...I..." the Chief sighed, "Thank you...you saved my life and I am obligated to acknowledge that."

"Consider it acknowledged," Loki snapped, "Now I really think it best that I leave..." he turned to go.

"Wait!"

Loki turned back slowly, raising an eyebrow at the cautious man who stood there, "Yes?" he prompted.

"We have little magical ability of our own and what we do have was gifted to us by the Frost Giants in the ancient times," Solvanin explained. "What I saw you do today...was...like nothing I have ever before seen.

"All I did was a simple spell," the God of Mischief shrugged elegantly. "Why do you tell me this?"

"I have Warriors, Healers and Wise Men aplenty but I would welcome a man of your talents. You would have wealth, in whatever form you desired, your word would be second only to my own, I offer you a place here among my people."

"Why? Were you not just furious with me?"

"I was, I am, but I am not so foolish as to let such an opportunity pass me by."

"And I am your opportunity," Loki sneered. "My loyalties cannot be bought. My power is not for sale," he said, furious.

Was that all he was? An opportunity? To Odin, he had been a stolen relic, a bargaining chip to be used to broker peace and now, here again, he was seen as someone's tool for glory and power. He refused to believe that this was all he was destined to be, merely a pawn in someone else's shadow and the Otaga Man was lucky that Loki had enough control over his magic that he didn't destroy everything around him in his anger, though he did feel the tingle of green fire at his fingertips for a moment.

"Do not ask this of me again, Chief Solvanin," Loki hissed. "I wish you and your tribe well," he sneered after a moment and walked away.

* * *

*1 The Otaga have a Wikipedia page and they are listed as natives of Jotunheim, I took a lot of liberties with their society since there wasn't a lot written about them. It says that they're war-like but like I said, I took some artistic liberties.

* * *

A.N. I admit that I completely invented everything in here about Trolls, I have no idea if there's anything in Norse myth about them, I'm just going off the films and there's nothing that mentions them that I can recall.


	5. The Avengers Assemble

**The Avengers Assemble**

 **Summary:** Three years after Thor gets his powers back, Director Fury is forced to assemble the Avengers when Victor Von Doom threatens to destroy humanity.

* * *

A.N. Okay, so I took a lot of liberties with this one. I needed a reason for Fury to get the Avengers together that didn't have anything to do with Loki trying to rule the world.

I'm writing this with the idea that Doom has his electrical powers from the first films. And after three years, Thor would have been introduced to all, if not most, of the Avengers even though they've not been brought together to fight before now.

* * *

It was a strange, motley crew that Director Nicholas Fury had gathered aboard the impressive S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier which hovered high above the great cities of the world. His companions consisted of Thor the Norse God of Thunder, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Bruce Banner, all of whom had had all of an hour or so to talk as a team in the same place before.

"Thought I was too reckless for you, Nicky boy," Iron Man crossed his arms as best as he could whilst wearing his metal suit. "Egotistical and self centred, wasn't it...or something like that, you turned me down for your little squad here...not that you're not all just y'know, nice people, and all," he shrugged.

"Now is not the time to be petty..."

"What happened to the Fantasy Four?" Tony mocked.

"The Fantastic Four," Fury corrected with a long suffering sigh, "Have got their hands full with Doom's new army of robots."

"Go on, say it...they're called Doombots," he grinned, "Kinda tacky name but, hey, who am I to judge?"

"...And...they need help," the director finished.

"And we are to help them?" Thor inferred.

"No, together with our forces, they're more than capable of dealing with the robots for a while. We need you to take the fight straight to Doom in Latveria and stop him. The Avengers program was dropped before it was even started because it was thought that bringing together the most powerful people on earth would only result in..."

"Chaos?" The God of Thunder raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing worse than modern government," Tony shrugged at him.

"We don't have time to argue semantics, Stark, we're in this together...unless you'd rather get down on your knees and beg Doom for mercy."

"...Okay, I'm in' I mean, not in the begging part..but I'll kick his ass for you."

"Since you all know each other, it'll save time," Fury nodded, "I trust you have no objections to working as a team?"

* * *

"He is a sorcerer?" Thor frowned after hearing the all of the information that S.H.I.E.L.D had, "But he is mortal."

"He's not a sorcerer, he's a giant conductor!" Tony protested.

"I don't care what you call him, your job is to stop him, not categorise him," Fury snapped.

"My brother would be able to stop him," Thor sighed, "He is a powerful sorcerer, surely a mortal magician would be no match for him."

"Well, if you can find him before we get there, that'd be great," Steve replied, "Otherwise, we're on our own."

* * *

"I don't like this," Thor scowled, "I am not good with covert missions," he said as they surveyed the large castle from behind a tor.

"We know," Steve sighed.

"We heard you the last ten times," Tony added. "But it's not like we can just knock on the front door and ask him to stop trying to take over the world, is it?"

"So don't get any ideas, big guy," Captain America slapped the God of Thunder on the back with a grin.

* * *

As the Avengers passed through the underground tunnels of Castle Doom, Loki, God of Mischief strode invisibly through the castle itself as though he belonged there. He was dressed in his full regalia complete with his horned helmet and long, green cloak with golden arm and shoulder guards.

It didn't take him long at all to follow the trail of magic that had been calling out to him. The call was like a sirens' song and on his last brief visit to Midgard, Loki had heard its first waking breaths but he'd thought little of it at the time. After all, most of the Nine Realms knew that Midgardian magic was weak, even in its prime it had been nothing compared to what the other Realms could boast.

But this magic was different somehow. It was powerful and Loki knew he had to have it.

And so it was, that the Norse God of Mischief walked proudly into the heart of Victor Von Doom's castle and declared himself with a light, almost polite cough as he emerged from the shadows.

"Victor Von Doom, I presume," he smiled as the caped and masked man spun around.

The villain looked like a wraith, swathed in black except for the red staff he held in his right hand, it was almost blood red and tipped with ornate gold. To Loki, who could sense the powerful magic that lay within it, knew that the mortal that held it could only touch on a fraction of its true power.

Without a word, Von Doom threw out his left hand and shot a blast of crackling blue and silver lightning at Loki, but he vanished instantly, only to remerge behind the mortal. "I believe you missed," he grinned.

He vanished again and Doom swung the staff at him, clutching it with both hands now but of course, Loki was long gone before the man had even blinked. He then appeared behind the mortal again, tapping him on the shoulder and watching as Doom turned again only to find that Loki was gone again.

"Coward!" the man hissed from behind his mask, "Show yourself!"

"As you wish," Loki chuckled and now, he stood not three feet away, facing Von Doom.

"What are you? A mutant? One of S.H.I.E.L.D's new pets, perhaps?"

"Oh, please," Loki rolled his eyes, "I'm insulted, really."

"Then what?!"

"I am Loki," he smiled and inclined his head for a brief moment.

"...Loki...of Asgard?"

"Correct...in a manner of speaking, I suppose," Loki replied.

"And you are here...to what? To stop me?"

"By no means," the God replied, "I care nothing for this Realm or its inhabitants."

"Then why did you break into my castle?"

"I broke nothing," Loki objected petulantly.

"What do you want?!" Doom demanded, shooting another bolt of crackling power at the God who vanished as it passed through the air where he'd been standing a second before.

"That weapon you now wield," the disembodied voice of the Trickster spoke, "It is of mortal origin, yes?"

"It is mine!"

"It holds power beyond your feeble comprehension and I am here to relieve you of it."

Von Doom spared a glance at the staff he held in his right hand and scoffed, "I am the only one capable of wielding its power! This is a mortal weapon, only a mortal can use it."

"We shall see," Loki replied calmly.

* * *

"So much for discrete!" Iron Man hissed as he flew over a Doombot before landing and shooting a wrist full of tiny, powerful rockets at it, watching it explode with childlike glee before he found his next opponent.

"It was not my fault!' Thor yelled back.

"Sure it wasn't," Steve nodded.

"For the record, I'm so not taking the rap for this," Tony told them.

"Well, someone is," Natasha shot back.

"Tasha just volunteered," Iron Man laughed.

"I did not!"

"Too late now," Barton smirked as they moved on again, having now defeated the last of the Doombots.

* * *

"Your power is unusual...for a mortal," Loki said to Von Doom.

The man himself said nothing as he tried to shoot the taunting God with a bolt of electricity only to miss and crack one of his own walls instead. "I can't help but wonder how you acquired such an ability," Loki spoke, "Or that artefact in your hand. It doesn't seem to like you every much. Can't you hear it? It's screaming."

"Screaming?" Doom scoffed, "That's ridiculous!"

"It has powerful magic and magic takes on a life force of its own. Don't you know that, you foolish mortal?"

"We'll see who's foolish when you're the one a burn to ashes!"

Loki grinned at the threat, ready to strike again, but instead, he kept back, gracefully, away from the human and tilted his head, as listening intently. He let out a quiet sigh a moment later.

"I'm going to have to bring our fun to an end, my friend," he announced sadly.

"What?!" Doom exclaimed, watching as the God before him vanished.

Before he had time to do anything else, one of the walls was suddenly blown apart and in stepped the Avengers.

"Good luck," he heard the disembodied God of mischief say, "I'll be watching."

"Wonderful, more unwanted guests," Von Doom sighed dramatically.

* * *

"What's with the death stick?" Tony found himself asking as he and the others fought the enraged Von Doom.

They were surrounded by Doombots as the man himself tried to electrocute them and the staff he held spontaneously shot out jagged blasts of gold power.

"This?" Doom held up the staff. "This is _Rúyì Jīngū Bàng,_ thought to be a only a myth in Chinese culture. But I found it, therefore I am worthy of its power." *1

"Yeah...its needs a better name..."

"It's name doesn't matter," the man told them, "You won't remember it when you're dead!"

Throughout the fight, Von Doom swore that he could see flashes of the God of Mischief who kept throwing daggers at his hand, trying to dislodge the staff from his fingers. It was clear that he wasn't interested in aiding the Avengers, he just wanted the staff. No one else seemed to be able to see him though.

"Stop interfering!" Doom yelled angrily sending a blast of his own power and the uncontrollable energy from the staff at Loki.

"Not gonna happen!" Tony cried back, thinking that the man referred to the Avengers since they couldn't see the God of Mischief.

Loki himself couldn't stop the blast that was sent his way, the power from the staff had proved too much for him and he was sent hurtling away at incredible speeds through thick, stone walls until he landed on the ground outside. Even a God's bones could be broken and Loki knew that he'd just broken too many to count on his journey. Each of the defensive castle's walls had been at least five feet thick and he'd smashed through far too many of them.

Now, as he forced open his eyes, he saw that he was surrounded by destructive robots that Thor and the Avengers had somehow missed on their journey through the castle. The commotion of his crashing through the walls had obviously altered them and he was now considered a threat despite the fact that he could hardly move.

"...Use...less...fools," Loki hissed, hatefully.

* * *

The God of Mischief wasn't there to witness Doom's defeat at the hands of the Avengers but he didn't care. He only wanted the staff and he watched, invisibly as the mortal was lead away in chains.

Loki's form shimmered once the room was deserted, his clothes were torn and bloody, his bones were broken and bruised and he hobbled weakly on his aching limbs as he appeared. He managed to somehow walk over to the discarded staff to lift it from the ground and use it to prop himself up. It glowed a pale green in his hands for a second before the magic settled and he, once again, vanished.

He wasn't there to see the team of S.H.I.E.L.D agents who later searched the castle from top to bottom on the words of Doom himself that the artefact had power that they didn't understand. But no one could find it.

* * *

*1 _Rúyì Jīngū Bàng_ is a fictional staff in a 16th-century classic Chinese novel 'Journey to the West.' Its name translates roughly as 'The Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod.'


	6. You Don't Find Loki, Loki Finds You

**You Don't Find Loki, Loki Finds You**

 **Summary -** The Avengers are celebrating their victory over Victor Von Doom when they find Loki. What is the Trickster hiding?

* * *

The music was loud and the voices around the bar were even louder to compensate as small groups of people shouted across at each other as they drank.

"Another!" Thor yelled happily, slamming the glass on the dirty, sticky counter of the bar, somehow, without breaking the delicate object in the process.

"A...another...yeah...what h...he said..." Anthony Stark slurred back as he draped his arm across the Thunderer's shoulders.

"My friend, you lose," Thor told him, "You are drunk, and I am not."

"M'not drunk," Tony muttered.

"Sure you're not," Steve Rogers scoffed beside him.

"Mmm-hmmm," Natasha hummed, "We believe you."

"Awwww, you...you guys are the best," Tony grinned, stupidly.

"And you're an idiot," Barton muttered.

"T...that's not very nice y'know...I have a...a big metal suit thing and I can totally kick your ass, Hawky boy..."

"Well, I..." Steve began but a loud cry cut him off.

"Argh!" a shrill voice cried and all eyes turned in the direction of the noise.

It came from the other end of the room and had emanated from a man who had been thrown a distance of around three feet over a table and he'd knocked over half a dozen glasses over on his way. He was young, tanned and shaven and his white shirt was now splattered with the remnants of mixed drinks and pieces of glass which he didn't seem to notice as he tried to push himself up off the ground with shaky arms.

Four other men appeared to come to his aid and they pulled him up and then advanced on the perpetrator. All eyes were on a slim, unassuming man with blonde hair, blue eyes and a healthy tan.

"Wh...wha's goin' on..." Tony muttered.

"Bar fight," Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Oh, sweet!" the man sat up eagerly.

The blonde man leapt elegantly to one side as he avoided a punch that came his way and he caught the wrist, then spun the man face first into the wall, knocking him unconscious in one move. He then turned to another man who ran at him brandishing a bottle and ducked under his arm, spinning around to grab him from behind, locking his neck between his elbow and rendering him useless.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Steve frowned at the lack of bouncers to stop the fight. This was clearly a place off the beaten track and bar fights were left to play out here, regardless of the risks.

"Why? He looks like he can take care of himself," Natasha replied.

"Yes, he does," Thor muttered, watching the blonde closely. There was something about the way he fought that captivated the God of Thunder and he watched as the man incapacitated his third opponent and then his fourth without a drop of blood spilt.

"He's good," Barton remarked, watching the agile man circle his last adversary.

"Hey, hey, maybe we should hire him, right?" Tony contributed drunkenly.

"Maybe you should just shut up," Natasha sighed, "I don't know why we bother letting you come with us when all you do is get this drunk."

"S'what you're supposed to do on a night out," he shot back.

Suddenly, the fifth man, the blonde's final opponent, pulled out a knife from his pocket and twirled it expertly in his right hand. He moved to swing his weapon at the smaller man but it was met with a quiet 'clang' of metal meeting metal. The blonde held a knife of his own and he spun it so that his burly adversary lost his grip on his weapon and it clattered to the floor, uselessly.

"Fool," the blonde muttered before he drew back his armed hand, balled up his fist and slammed it into the man's forehead, knocking him out before he hit the floor.

"That blade..." Thor whispered, seeing something familiar about the elegant, silver dagger that the blonde examined before he concealed it in his grey jacket.

At the clear victory, a loud raucous cheer swept through the bar but while everyone else was more interested in drinking to his victory, the blonde man silently swept from the room and slipped out into the night.

"Wait!" Thor yelled, jumping up from his seat and running after the man.

"Thor!" Natasha cried, "Come back!"

"Hey...hey wait..." Tony muttered, looking down at his unfinished drink sadly.

"Oh," Steve rolled his eyes, "Come on," he dragged his friend's arm over his shoulder and ran after the God of Thunder.

Thor, following the strange man, led them down a dark, empty alley way before he leapt up using Mjölnir, and landed in front of the pale man. "I mean you no harm," he said calmly, "I ask only your name."

"Why?" the man scowled and expertly he pulled two small daggers from his dirty sleeves, one in either hand, as he crouched low.

"I did not come to fight you," Thor told him as he lowered his hammer to the ground, then held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Those knives, they are my brother's," he declared, now able to see them better, "I know it's you, Loki, I saw you fight and you'd never give your blades to another."

"I stole them," the man insisted, "I stole them from a corpse!" he hissed and ran at Thor.

"You're lying, little brother," he said, leaping backwards just in time to avoid being slashed across the chest by the razor sharp blades.

"I'm not your brother!"

"Thor!" Steve cried, running forwards, leaving Tony leaning against a wall, still insisting that he was not drunk.

"Stay back, my friends," Thor demanded, "It is my brother. It is Loki, I know it!"

"You know nothing!"

"I know everything!" Thor replied, "Mother told me..." he added as he took a small, slow step towards the trickster god.

"She...told you..." Loki repeated incredulously, "Then you know I'm..."

"Regardless of where you were born, you are my brother. It changes nothing between us. Now please...rid yourself of this illusion," he begged, "Please."

Loki sighed and let the image of the nameless face he wore slip away, revealing his own tired features in his Asgardian guise. He was pale, more pale than usual and his face was gaunt, he'd clearly lost weight that he hadn't had to lose in the first place and his royal clothes, usually so pristine and impressive, were covered in smatterings of dirt and dust. His dark hair was longer, past his shoulders and looked as though it hadn't been washed for days. It hadn't of course, it for some reason, he wasn't healing as quickly as he would have liked and he didn't know why.

"Now you see me...brother," Loki muttered tiredly.

"Loki," Thor breathed, moving to stand close to his brother. Using a strong, yet gentle grip, he gripped Loki's thin wrist which was still poised to strike and lowered it slowly.

There was so much he wanted to say now that he finally had the chance but Thor knew that now, looking at his exhausted and bedraggled brother, was not the time for his questions, so he settled for asking only one. "Why have you done this to yourself?" he asked sadly.

Loki only scoffed quietly as he shook his hand from Thor's grip, "It looks as though it has been a difficult few years for us both," Thor remarked.

"I'm sorry to disappoint," the younger God sneered, "But you shouldn't be surprised. All I am is a disappointment..." he muttered. While he in part actually believed that, he knew it would affect Thor more.

"Don't say such things," Thor frowned.

"Why not?"

"Where have you been all this time?"

"Everywhere, I've been everywhere," Loki whispered.

"All alone?"

"Of course, alone!"

"And you come here often? Often enough to know where I would be," Thor inferred.

"Don't flatter yourself," Loki replied coldly. "I was in that particular...establishment because it has a reputation for being the most lawless place in the state. I went looking for a fight, Thor, not for you."

"Didn't look like it was much of a fight," Steve remarked but Loki ignored him.

"I don't think you are in any condition to be looking for fights in taverns," Thor scolded him.

"I won, didn't I?!"

"I'll say," Natasha nodded.

"Yeah...you were all...right hook...left hook...fancy knife thing..." Tony muttered.

"I suggest you take your inebriated friend and leave me be," Loki sighed, turning to walk away.

"Loki!" Thor cried quickly, stepping cowards and catching his brother by the wrist. When he saw Loki's frantic eyes though, he let go and tried to appear non-threatening. "Brother..." he said quietly.

"Stop it," Loki hissed, "Stop calling me that...forget you ever saw me tonight..."

"I could never..."

"I could make you," he threatened.

"And I would resist," Thor replied simply.

"You could try..."

"Please, Loki, enough, I mean you no harm. I want only to help you. I've missed you."

"Hmmm," Loki scoffed in disbelief.

"I did," Thor insisted, "I searched for you. I believe Heimdall tired of my constant questioning knowing that he could not see you. Father couldn't find you, even mother..."

"I hid well."

"Obviously," Thor sighed, "My little brother is a master of magic too good for even the Gatekeeper and the Allfather combined to track."

"You always underestimated magic, Thor, you all did."

"Yes, we did," the Thunder God nodded, "And I'm sorry for it."

"You say that only because you now see its worth."

"I say it because I see how it hurt you and I want to make amends," Thor said, "Please, don't leave, I beg you..."

"...I rather like hearing you beg," Loki gave a small grin.

"Alright, that's enough," Clint exclaimed, stepping forwards.

"Barton, don't," Thor warned him back.

"Yes, Barton, do," Loki contradicted.

"Loki!" his brother sighed. "That's enough, you're coming back with me..."

"Back? Don't you dare take me back to Asgard!" Loki took a step back.

"I'm not, I'm taking you back to Tony's mansion."

"Thor! Don't even..." Loki's cry was forced from him as Thor shot into the sky, one arm around his brother and his other hand around Mjölnir.

"...Wha's this 'bout my mansion?"

"You may not have a mansion by the time we get there the way those two were going," Natasha told him as they began to make their own way back.

* * *

By the time they got back, not only were they surprised to see that the building was still standing, but that Loki had apparently fallen asleep on the sofa with his older brother watching over him.

"He didn't have much energy left in him to fight me with," Thor told them.

"Thought you said he was a king for two months...he sure doesn't look like much right now," Steve murmured.

"Guard your tongue! He is my brother and a former ruler of Asgard!"

"I know, I just, I mean...what I meant was, he doesn't look so good, that's all," Captain America reiterated calmly.

"No, he does not," Thor sighed, "He looks drained of all strength." He gently began to remove Loki's knives and the dirty, gold arm guards that were loosely tied over the sleeves of his coat. Everything was placed carefully and with great reverence onto the coffee table beside the sofa.

Thor could now see Loki's pale hands in detail and he saw that there were jagged scars, almost like burn marks on his palms.

"What manner of scars are these?" he muttered.

"Mmmmm," Loki mumbled and weakly, opened his eyes.

"Shhh," Thor whispered, setting aside the last blade, "Brother, you need aid, I will take you back to Asgard..."

"No!" Loki cried, jumping up with strength that surprised the inhabitants of the room, even Thor. "Do not take me back! You cannot!"

"Loki, you are exhausted, you need to see a healer..."

"I need to rest, that is all!" he ground out, choosing not to mention his still aching bones. His bruises were mostly healed, but broken bones, even on him, took a while to heal and Von a Doom had done a number on him when he'd magically forced Loki to smash through several thick castle walls. "If you attempt to take me back I will fight you," he declared.

"You don't have the energy to fight anyone right now," Natasha crossed her arms.

"Try me," Loki hissed.

"Peace, brother," Thor rested his hand on Loki's shoulder. "Rest for now, I will take you at your word."

"You'll...not take me back?" the younger god raised an eyebrow.

"We will see what the morning brings. If you are improved, then no."

"And if I am not?"

"Then we will see," Thor told him. "Now, please, rest, you are safe here. I'll not leave you," he said, laying his hand on Loki's forearm.

"I can't stay here..." Loki shook his head, his eyes closing again.

"Yes you can,"

"Can't..." Loki muttered, "Stayed too long."

"I wasn't even aware that you were on Midgard."

"No one did. No one was meant to...tonight was an accident," the younger god admitted.

"It was a fortunate one," Thor declared. He manoeuvred his brother, ignoring his protests, so that he was sitting against Thor's chest as they had done when they were children.

"I'm not a child, Thor, let me go!" Loki cried, struggling in vain as Thor gently stroked his hair back, seeming not to notice his young brother's rather weak movements. "I mean it, Thor, release me!"

"Not going to happen, brother," Thor smiled.

"I demand that you cease this...this...this useless display now!"

"I refuse."

"Talk about sibling love," Steve muttered to his friends.

"I'm warning you, Thor!'

"And I am choosing not to hear you," Thor replied, "Incidentally, I believe you are in need of a bath, Loki."

" **What?!** "

"You smell foul," his brother informed him and Loki was stunned.

Unable to hide their chuckles, Steve, Barton, Tony and Natasha received angry glares from an indignant Loki, but the effect didn't seem to work when the one giving the glare was being unwillingly hugged by his older brother.

" **You** smell foul! Now let me go!" he screamed back after a moment.

"No."

"Argh, fine!" Loki hissed and closed his eyes. Focusing what was left of his magical reserves, Loki tried to teleport himself away but he barely made it five feet away and he fell against the wall, exhausted.

"That was not your wisest idea," Thor said, turning to face his stubborn brother.

"You gave me no choice, you ridiculous oaf! You were smothering me!"

"I was not!" Thor protested and once again, he heard a quiet chuckle from bending him. "Please, my friends," Thor turned to them and they nodded before leaving him and Loki alone.

"At last, you rid us of your entourage," Loki sneered.

"They are my friends."

"They are weak mortals!"

"They are not weak, now please, Loki, you need to rest," Thor said kindly, trying not to enrage his brother further.

"Rest?!" the younger repeated with a scoff. He hadn't been able to sleep properly now for months, even before his fight with Von Doom and he knew that without his illusions it was showing now on his face.

"Yes, rest," he nodded, moving to lift Loki in his arms.

"What are you doing?!" Loki snapped as Thor easily raised him from the floor and walked him through the building. "Put me down!" he cried.

"Here," Thor said finally, laying his brother down in the bed that had been provided by Tony for his frequent stays here. He often spent time here with Jane as Tony and she worked on projects that he couldn't generally understand.

Thor removed Loki's long, green and black coat, once more swatting away Loki's protesting hands and he placed the grubby garment over the desk chair by the large wall of glass. Thor then went on to remove his brother's chest plate and his boots without saying a word.

"Why are you doing this?" Loki asked him.

"What?" Thor frowned.

"Acting like nothing has changed," he clarified, "Nothing is as it was before...surely you know what I did."

"If you refer to what happened at my coronation, yes, I know about it, I have known for some time."

"Aren't you angry with me?"

"I was," Thor admitted, "But you were right. I was not ready to be king, I don't have to like the way you went about proving it, but I understand."

"And now you are crown prince again?" Loki guessed. In truth he didn't actually know whether Odin had proclaimed Thor's right to the throne again, he hadn't been back to Asgard since he'd left and he hadn't even attempted to keep up with what the royal family was doing in his absence.

"I am the wielder of Mjölnir, I am a prince again," he nodded, "Father offered to me the chance to be king when I returned...but I refused."

"What?! Why?!"

"I am a solider, Loki, we all know that. You would be the better choice..."

"I do not want the throne," Loki murmured, settling into the soft sheets around him, "I never did."

"Shhh," Thor whispered gently, tugging the quilt over his brother. "We will discuss this in the morning," he said as he lay atop the sheets beside Loki.

"No, we won't," the tired God of Mischief relied with typical stubbornness as he closed his eyes, choosing not to comment on the fact that Thor had draped an arm over him.

After having spent years alone, he couldn't find it in himself to hate it the sudden onslaught of affectionate touch that was his brother. Thor was always hugging or slapping his friends on the back, but Loki had always found the slightest of 'friendly' touches to be uncomfortable. The only exception was Thor when they had been children. But as they'd grown, Thor had found Loki's magic less and less impressive and Loki himself had drifted away from his brother and the Warriors and everyone else for that matter as well. Maybe now he knew why he abhorred physical contact so much, though, after all, he was a Frost Giant, creatures known for their cold touch. He didn't feel cold at all now, not with Thor beside him.

* * *

As he expected, Loki awoke early and Thor was still deeply asleep, he was lying beside his brother with one of Thor's arms still draped over him and he carefully lifted it and slipped out from under the covers, his bones, protesting at the movement.

The room he was in was one of the better ones he'd spent a night since he'd left Asgard and the bed had certainly been comfortable. The view was impressive out of the large wall of glass as well and Loki took a moment to admire it as he swung on his coat, pulled on his boots and then he walked silently from the room.

After locating his knives where he vaguely remembered Thor had removed them, he hid them about his person again and made for what he assumed was the way out until he heard footsteps behind him.

"Loki," Thor spoke, stopping his brother before he could leave.

"Ah," the God of Mischief breathed, "You rise early...a new habit, I assume?"

"I rose early because I knew you'd try to leave."

"Hmmm."

"We have much to discuss..."

"We have nothing to discuss," Loki corrected him.

"I have not seen you for three years, Loki..."

"Such a short space of time means nothing to us, we are immortal."

"We live long lives, but they don't last forever, brother," Thor told him, remembering his father's words on his return to Asgard. "You seem to be much improved," he remarked after a moment.

"I told you, all I needed was rest," Loki snapped.

"What have you been doing to tire yourself, so?" Thor asked. "I ask only because I worry about you," he explained when Loki's eyes snapped up at him. "I feared you lost forever...I feared you dead, Loki, does that mean nothing to you?!" Loki said nothing in his stubbornness and Thor sighed, "Mother missed you," he said, "How could you just leave? Father has been..."

"Thor," Loki spoke slowly as though explaining something to a child, "I have no father, the man who sired me, left me to die when I was but an infant and **your** father lied to me for my entire life."

"He did it to protect you!"

"From what? From knowing that I am a monster?! Oh yes, I can see that his reasoning was truly a noble cause!" Loki spat.

"You are no monster!" Thor cried and Loki scoffed.

"...Oh, please...my poor head," Tony chose that moment to stumble into the room followed by a confused Pepper Potts. Both were dressed for sleeping and both looked equally surprised at seeing the angry Loki standing before them.

"Tony, maybe we should..." she began but Loki hadn't even seemed to notice them.

"Do you not remember what we always said as boys? How we dreamt of the slaughter of the Frost Giants? Do you want to slaughter me now? Or do you conveniently forget that now that you know the truth?" he yelled.

"We were foolish children and father never should have encouraged such talk," the Thunderer said.

"I cannot forget," Loki continued, as Thor had never spoken. "A thousand years of hating the very thing that I turn out to be...how can the Allfather be so cruel? What did I do to deserve this?!"

"You did nothing, none of this is your fault, brother..."

 **"I'm not your brother!"** Loki screamed. "I have no brother, I have no mother, and I have no father! I have nothing!" he yelled, his voice hoarse in his rage as stray tears ran down his cheeks. His hands were suddenly alight with green fire and it coiled and trickled up his forearms from the tips of his fingers, almost like water that flowed upstream.

"Wow...that's new..." Tony squinted at the flames, "Thor...that's not good...right," he muttered to him, eyeing the green, magical fire warily.

"I am aware of that," Thor ground out, needlessly.

"Is that actual fire, 'cos this place's been through enough and I..."

"Shut up," Pepper muttered back at him, noticing that each word said seemed to make the distraught God of Mischief increasingly edgy as he backed away from them, like a wild, cornered animal.

"Loki..." Thor whispered, taking a step towards his brother. He held up a hand to show that he was unarmed and Loki's eyes flittered across his form which grew closer to him slowly.

"Don't!" the younger god ordered.

"Please, Loki...please, be calm..."

"Why should I?!" Loki demanded, shaking his head. "Don't act like you've never done me wrong either! Living in your shadow was almost as bad as Odin's lies! I could do no right with the mighty Thor as a brother!" Loki mocked. "I was never as strong as you! I was never as good as you! And Odin never let me forget it! He knew that I'd never be as good as you because I am nothing more than a Jotun monster..."

"What they did was wrong, but you cannot forget everything they have done for you, they love you as they love me." Loki let out a cold, hateful chuckle at that but he said nothing as Thor continued, "I've seen monsters, Loki," he said, "And you are not one of them."

"You don't know...you haven't seen what I really am..." Loki shivered.

"Then show me..."

"No!" the younger god cried.

"Alright," Thor breathed calmly, "Alright. Just...please...calm down..." he said, glancing down at his brother's flame filled fingertips.

Loki then turned to see the same thing and he raised his hands so that they level with his eyes, surprised at what he saw. He hadn't been aware that he'd conjured any magic at all. With a flick of his wrists, the flames disappeared and he sighed heavily as he leant back against the wall, running a hand through his dirty black hair.

"Thank you," Thor smiled at him. "What I said last night hasn't changed," he said after a moment, "You really do require a bath, brother."

The God of Mischief couldn't help but laugh at that and once Thor saw that his brother took it in good humour rather than getting angry, he laughed as well.

"You really are a fool, Thor," Loki said with a smile, "A sentimental fool."

"Maybe so, but right now I'm a sentimental fool with an offended sense of smell."

"You don't deny that you're sentimental," the younger God pointed out.

"I have learnt to choose my battles wisely," Thor replied.

"Took you long enough," Loki said.

"It was a hard learned lesson, make no mistake, but a necessary one...You learned it long before I did."

"I never had a powerful hammer to smash around in difficult situations; I had no choice."

"Perhaps I'd have been better off never having one myself," Thor said. "But enough misdirection, as your elder brother I am ordering you to rid yourself of that foul stench."

"You are ordering me?"

"Go, brother!" Thor growled with a smile.

"Very well," Loki rolled his eyes, "But I go because the smell offends **me** not because you order it," he said.

"Of course."

* * *

Loki emerged sometime later wearing a black vest and a pair of dark jeans that had been left in the bathroom for him, both were slightly too big for him, but with a wave of his hand, Loki made sure that none would know it. His whole body still ached and he couldn't understand why he wasn't healing.

The wounds on his palms, he remembered, had appeared the first time he'd used the magic of the staff which he'd taken from Von Doom. At first Loki had been able to control its vast power, but then it had turned sour and it had almost turned on him. It had been as though the magical artefact had warned him not to act further and had burned him as a warning and these for some reason, his magic couldn't hide. He wasn't sure whether this 'warning' was friendly or not. He hoped to discover what, if anything, S.H.I.E.L.D knew about the artefact, but without his kingly resources, it had proven difficult, especially when he was wounded. That was why he had followed Thor to America.

Minutes later, Loki found the so called 'Avengers', including Bruce Banner, who had thought it best not to join his friends on their night out, for obvious reasons, lounging in the sitting room with Thor. Loki strode confidently around the room now, examining the small knick-knacks and bric-a-brac that littered every surface.

"Shouldn't you all be protecting Midgard and doing great deeds of valour...not resting here watching...television?" he asked, ignoring the pain he felt, pushing it away to a deep, dark corner of his mind where its cries couldn't be heard.

"Last day of celebrating a big victory," Tony grinned, "Come sit with us, we got popcorn!" he said, holding up a half empty bowl.

"You recovered quickly from your stupor, Man of Iron," Loki remarked.

"Years of practice."

"It is true, brother, he has much practice in this," Thor declared, "As much as Volstagg, I dare say."

"Hmmm," Loki hummed.

"So...you know about tv, huh?" Tony called over to Loki, "Y'should've seen us try and explain it to thunder guy, here...he said the little people were sorcerers," he laughed and Loki let out a quiet snort of humour. "And seriously, what is it with you people and calling me 'Man of Iron' it's Iron Man, how hard is it to remember? I'll even let you use my name, I guess you don't know, being from Mars and all but it's..."

"Anthony Howard Stark," Loki said for him, turning to face the man who now sported a surprised expression.

"Hey, the Martian knows my name!"

"I even understand your Martian reference, will wonders never cease," the God of Mischief deadpanned.

"...I like him," Tony declared happily.

"Everyone knows your name," Steve rolled his eyes, "Bet you don't know mine."

"I know more than just your name, I know that you are misplaced, out of time, you don't belong here anymore than I do," Loki said.

"Oooookay..." Clint frowned.

"This is impressive, brother, how..." Thor said.

"Did you really think me so uninformed when I was king?" Loki asked his brother.

"You knew about them even then?"

"Oh, yes, I knew of each of them before you did."

"I'm I the only one creeped out by that?" Tony muttered, "Not that it's not impressive, I mean, it is, but it's still..."

"How did you know, if you're telling the truth, I mean?" Natasha asked the God of Mischief, "The Avengers wasn't even formed then."

"Your...organisation...isn't exactly discrete, nor is it particularly good at keeping its secrets from someone like me. They were all very interested in you after Thor landed here, but I'm sure you know that already, Agent Romanoff, or should I call you Black Widow?" Loki replied smugly.

"Guess that means he's telling the truth," Tony said, impressed.

"Why, because he knows who I am?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I know far more than that. I know about your...particular skill set, I know what you did with them and I know that Agent Barton was sent to..."

"Enough!" she yelled.

"...The point is, knowledge is power," Loki told her, "I'm still alive because I respect that...so do not underestimate me."

"Alright, point proven," Tony breathed, "You wanna sit down now, or you wanna keep trying to creep us out?"

"It's actually rather enjoyable."

"Heh," the man smirked, "God of Mischief...right..."

"Here," Thor said, quickly, hoping the change the subject as he held out Loki's golden, now shining arm guards which had been lovingly polished back to their former splendour. "I cleaned them for you," he explained needlessly as Loki took them back.

The younger God gave a silent, surprised nod and then he turned his attention to the armour pieces in his hands. He ran a finger over the inlaid design on one of them and gave a small smile before he could stop himself. Loki then, more out of habit than anything else, strapped the arm guards onto his wrists, forgetting that he wasn't wearing his usual clothes so they were slightly loose on his bare forearms.

"That is new," Thor pointed out, as he glanced at an elaborate twisting of black string inlaid with small amulets around his brothers' right wrist which was quickly concealed under his arm guard.

"A trinket, nothing more," Loki shrugged.

"From whom?"

"...From the Dwarves."

"The what?" Tony blinked, "Dwarves? As in...little people?"

"I forget you Midgardians have no Dwarves," Thor said, "But, Loki, please tell me that you did not..."

"I did not steal it, Thor, it was a gift."

"A gift, for what purpose?" Thor asked in disbelief.

"For the...for the purpose of peace," Loki answered, turning away.

"What?"

"Apparently I have quite the reputation for peace now," the younger God murmured. "Really, I orchestrate one treaty, one measly little treaty with the Jotun and everyone in the Nine seems to think better of me now, it's laughable. Maybe I should have done it a long time ago if only to see the looks on their faces..."

"And you agreed to this, after what they did to you..." *1

"No," Loki shook his head. "I said I would...ponder their generous offer, and they gave me this. It may not look like much but it has powerful protection magic woven into it," he said, raising his arm slightly. "Which is slightly ironic because they then preceded to force me from their lands," he added with a humourless grin.

"And are you...pondering their generous offer?"

"I don't know. It's not an easy thing to forget having one's mouth sewn shut regardless of the mischief I caused them. I harmed no one, I was a child."

"You had your mouth sewn shut?" Steve frowned.

"According to Norse myth," Bruce nodded.

"Father was furious with them when he learned what they had done," Thor said to his brother.

"No he wasn't. He claimed that I deserved it, that it was a fitting punishment for one who valued words as I do...he said as much to my face."

"Not to me. To me he claimed vengeance on those that had dared to harm you."

"Then why did he do nothing?" Loki asked him with an open expression of anguish.

"Because...oftentimes he is a king first and a father second," the Thunderer sighed. "Why did you even deign to visit their accused lands?"

"Not by choice. I can't always control where I land when I...when I use my own method of traversing the Nine Realms."

"And that is?"

" **That** is my secret."

"You and your secrets," Thor sighed. "I suppose those wounds of yours are also a secret. How did you acquire them?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter," Loki shrugged.

"I am for Asgard tomorrow," his brother informed him after a minute, knowing that Loki would not tell him anything further. "You could come with me," he suggested.

"No, I couldn't," Loki said quickly.

"But mother would..."

"The Allmother will have to be content with the golden child of Asgard..."

"Loki...she is your mother, and she loves you..."

"...They are not my parents..." Loki shrugged, "I've already told you..."

"I don't think you really believe that."

"Nevertheless," the younger God spread his burned palms and continued his nonchalant pacing again.

"I'll not lie for you, Loki," Thor replied, "I'll tell them that I've seen you, it will alleviate their concern if nothing else."

"Do as you wish."

"They will not stop searching for you."

"I know how to hide."

"Then why did I find you?" Thor furrowed his brow, "...I didn't, did I...you wanted me to, so I did. You intended for me to find you..."

"You read too much into a simple coincidence..."

"Nothing is coincidence when you are involved, brother. Why did you want to see me?"

"I didn't," Loki said calmly, refusing to meet Thor's inquisitive eyes.

"You missed me, you missed my charming presence..."

"That's your theory? Honestly, I orchestrated this purely because I longed for your 'charming presence'? That's the best you can come up with? You could at least accuse me of plotting some hostile take-over, or that I'm gathering intelligence on your precious 'Avengers'. I'd even commend you for figuring out that I'm secretly eliminating all Midgardian leaders and impersonating them as we speak!"

"You've got some serious problems, you know that?" Steve scoffed.

"I'm not the one who fights wars in tights, Captain," Loki raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly, a flash of green light swept over his entire body, not emanating from anywhere in particular, it skimmed over his skin and his clothes, transforming him completely as it moved. It left a perfect copy of Captain America in full regalia, compete with his star emblazoned shield in his hand, all traces of the God of Mischief, obliterated. Save, of course, for the stubborn magical burns on his hands that simply refused to be hidden.

"Mmmmm," Loki appraised himself, looking down at his new appearance, "It's certainly something that I'd personally choose," he said, speaking as himself and then looked up dramatically. "It's a bit much...so tight..." he then said, mimicking Steve's speech patterns.

"Hey!" Steve exclaimed at the verbal jab.

"But the confidence, I can feel the righteousness surging. Wanna have a rousing discussion about truth, honour, patriotism? God bless America!" he grinned, brandishing his fist proudly.

"Hah," Tony laughed, "Hey, do me next!"

Loki, still wearing Steve's image, shrugged and transformed again with a flash of green light, Tony Stark was standing before them dressed in a sharp, navy blue suit. "Less board meeting more...fun in the sun," the original said.

With a third flash of light, the blue suit morphed into a white vest and dark knee length shorts, in his hand he now held an elaborate, colourful drink with a small paper umbrella in it. "That's a good look for me...Is that real?" Tony asked, gesturing to the glass which Loki preceded to hold out for him to take. Like an excited child, he jumped up and took it then made a grimace when he tasted it, "What the...what is that?"

"I'm unsure as to what these beverages taste like, I've only ever seen them," Loki defended, still looking and sounding like Tony. "I can't replicate the taste of something if I don't know what it is."

"How does this even work?" the American said, stunned, as he circled his double, holding the glass in his hand.

"Magic," Loki answered, simply.

"Seriously? Magic?"

"Is that not the response you expected?"

"Well...I guess, but magic's not..."

"Not what? Not real, despite what you see before you? Is seeing not believing?"

"Yeah, but...I'm a scientist, I'm a tech guy, everything has to have some kind of explanation..."

"So does this, it simply isn't **your** explanation that fits," Loki said.

"I...hmmm. So...say you turned into me wearing my suit...would it work like my real suit?"

Without a word, Loki morphed into a perfect copy of Iron Man, his metal suit shiny and spotless as he lightly tilted his head. "Well, it looks real enough," Tony remarked, "JARVIS, you in there?"

"No, sir, I am not," the AI answered.

"Guess that answers that, then."

"What is...argh..." Loki broke off before he could finish, his voice twisting back into his own.

He snapped his head down to stare at his hands which were forcibly changing back and he realised that he'd drained what little magic he'd recovered from his peaceful night of rest. Within the space of a split second, his illusion shattered into tiny sparks of light which shed from him like scales that floated away and dissipated in the air.

"Whoa...what just happened?" Steve frowned.

"...You ok?" Tony asked, moving forwards to try and place his hand on Loki's shoulder. But before he could, the God of Mischief had forced himself back sharply against the glass wall behind him and with a heavy sigh, Loki scrubbed a hand through his damp hair.

"I'm fine," he ground out.

"You drained your magic, didn't you?" the Thunderer inferred correctly.

"I am fine," his brother repeated.

"You should not have done that."

"I would appreciate it if you returned my clothes so that I may leave," Loki said suddenly.

"Well, unless you wanna walk around in wet clothes, you'll have to wait, Mischief man, I sent 'em of to be cleaned," Tony told him.

"Unacceptable," he replied.

"Tough."

"Why do you insist on fleeing?" Thor demanded, standing up and moving across to his brother. "I don't want you to disappear for another three years, Loki..."

"I didn't want to discover that Laufey was my sire, but we can't always get what we want, Thor."

"So you prefer your isolationism to my company?"

"Not everything is about you; at the moment, I value my 'isolationism' more than the company of every living being in the Nine," Loki sneered.

"I do not believe that such thinking has done you much good," Thor remarked as Loki sank back against the wall of glass, sliding down to sit on the floor. He pulled his knees up and rested his elbows on them, lowering his head and closing his eyes.

"...Why do you have to be so stubborn?" the younger god sighed.

"I am stubborn?" Thor chuckled in disbelief, "Well, if I am, indeed, it is of your making, brother."

"Naturally."

"I won't leave you, Loki, I won't allow you to wander alone anymore."

"You can't stop me," Loki stated calmly.

"This does not have to change anything, you are my brother and I will say that as many times as I need to. I did not lie to you when I said that I missed you dearly. Believe me, I spoke enough about you to compensate..."

"Ain't that the truth," Tony chuckled, "He told us everything."

"...Everything?" Loki questioned.

"All our adventures, brother, I spoke of them when I feared we'd have no more."

"You clearly remember them differently than I do."

"I remember each time I allowed my temper to cause me to do something reckless and each time you tried to talk me out of it..."

"If you'll also care to remember, half of those times I manipulated you into doing something reckless for my own amusement. You were always predictable," Loki scoffed.

"Whatever trouble I caused, regardless of whether you planned it, you were always there to put it right afterwards," Thor said.

"Of course I was, fath...Odin would have punishment me had I not done so. At least we know now why you never needed to fear his wrath."

"Loki, father was..." Thor began, clearly about to defend his father, but Loki refused to hear it and he spoke up again.

"I was jealous of you, Thor, I still am! What part of that can't you understand?! You should be angry with me not...pleased to see me! And I certainly don't need to hear you defend Odin's actions."

"I know you were jealous, brother, but you've no need to be, you never did..."

"How could I not be?!" the younger god let out an undignified snort of disbelief. "Everything came easy to you; your birth right, your power...even people..."

"I'm not surprised with that attitude," Natasha rolled her eyes and Loki blinked once to glare at her for a moment.

"You have a birth right, Loki, you are a son of Odin. You were made king in father's absence, does that count for nothing?"

"I was made temporary king because you were not there to claim the throne," Loki pointed out, petulantly.

"If that be the case, then why did the right not bypass you and go to mother? Distraught as she was, she has more experience in ruling than either of us. If they did not think you worthy then father would have decreed long ago that in such an event, you were forbidden to rule. But he didn't."

"He's got a point," Tony said to Loki.

"Surely, jealousy is beneath you, Loki, you are the most powerful sorcerer in Asgard, and you are well aware of that," Thor said.

"Asgard values brute strength, not magic," Loki said, "It was ever thus. Now...I've stayed long enough, I'm leaving..."

"Please, brother..."

"What about your clothes, they're not done yet?" Tony asked, hoping to delay the God of Mischief.

"I will return for them," Loki shrugged.

"You can't just leave," Steve exclaimed, "Alright, Thor's been worried sick about you and..." he trailed off when Loki pushed himself up from the floor and walked from the room. "Hey, where are you going?" Captain America demanded.

Loki returned from the bathroom, having retrieved his daggers which he'd left in there and then with a scowl of disinterest, he wordlessly transformed himself into a small black raven, flapping his feathered wings, ignoring the strain it put on him.

"Brother, your magic is not recovered enough for this," Thor warned just before the bird took flight out of the large open balcony door which overlooked the sea below. "Loki!" he yelled, running over to the balcony, watching uselessly as the black bird flew away.

"Want me to go after him? I'll catch up in no time in my suit," Tony offered.

"No," the thunderer sighed, "Leave him...perhaps this wandering is doing him some good...in some ways, at least. He never would have admitted to his jealousy like this before. I don't enjoy seeing him so weak, but he can take care of himself...and I fear that in following him against his wishes will only anger him more."

"So...your little brother's the most powerful sorcerer in Asgard, huh?" Bruce commented after a moment. "You, erm, you never mentioned that," he said.

"Did I not?"

"No...and I was wondering," the scientist muttered, more to himself. "Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence? Remember...Victor kept shouting when we were fighting him, I thought it was at us, but..." he said, "What if Loki was there and he took the staff...we never could find it. I mean, we all saw those vid files of what Doom can do. I don't like to admit that magic exists but..."

"Hang on, what Doom does isn't magic," Tony protested, "He's just...a giant conductor..."

"Then how do you explain Loki's impersonations?" Steve asked, "And the guy just turned into a bird and flew away!"

"Erm...stage magic?" Iron Man shrugged, "I don't know...yet, but it has to have some kind of scientific explanation...either way it's still cool." he added with a smile.

"You're missing the point," Bruce sighed.

"The point is, Loki has the staff," Natasha said.

"He could have the staff," the scientist corrected her.

"And we have to get it back," she finished.

* * *

*1 Reference to the myth that the Dwarves sewed Loki's lips shut.


	7. Looking for Loki

**Looking for Loki**

 **Summary -** Fury tells the Avengers to find Loki and discover whether or not he has the staff that Von Doom used against them.

* * *

"As much as I want this thing under lock and key," Nick Fury began, "I need more proof than just 'your gut tells you.' I'm not willing to risk an...an inter-dimensional incident based on an assumption."

"I spoke to Von Doom and he says that Loki was at his castle before we got there," Natasha explained, leaving out the fact that her 'speaking' to him alluded more to interrogation than anything else.

"A man'll say anything if he's being tortured," Steve crossed his arms.

"Loki was at the castle?" Fury frowned.

"There's no evidence of him on any of the surveillance cameras," Clint said.

"Could he have used...magic to hide himself?" Bruce asked Thor.

"It is possible," the blonde shrugged, "Though I do not know why he would have had cause to be there."

"You trust him?" Fury asked, "Your brother. If he has it, will he use this weapon against us?"

"I would trust Loki with my life," Thor replied. He knew that Loki had his problems but he didn't believe that it made his brother any less of a good man.

"Well, it's not just your life in question," Fury said. "I've been told by experts that this weapon is dangerous. It was made to destroy humanity and I've got the higher ups breathing down my neck because we let it out our sight. It's bad enough that it got Von Doom's attention so it's on our blacklist for good now. I need that weapon and I need it now." *1

"We do not know for sure that my brother has it," the God of Thunder shook his head.

"Then I'm asking you to find out."

"It will not be easy to find him; he may not even be on your planet."

"I thought you said your gatekeeper could see everything," Fury said.

"Not Loki. Not always."

"So he can go where ever he wants and no one can find him and we don't know a thing about him," the director sighed.

"My brother can be trusted," Thor warned, deeply, "And he is more than worthy of your respect."

"Doesn't change the fact that I need that spear."

"He hasn't threatened us with it even if he has it," Tony said. "We didn't even know he was here until his little bar stunt last week."

"If he's been flying under the radar then why'd he screw it all up because of one bar fight?" Natasha asked. "It's too suspicious."

"Sounds like you've got it in for him," the billionaire replied.

"I'm doing my job," she said, simply.

"If you had done your job in the first place you would not feel the need to persecute Loki now," Thor said.

"We didn't know about this thing until after we caught Von Doom," Fury explained.

"I do not like it."

* * *

"Easier said than done, huh," Tony sighed, "Find Loki...find someone who can be invisible or turn into anything he wants! How the heck do we even start looking when he might not even be on earth?" he asked, leaning forwards over a computer in his lab. "Can we just scan for anyone not human?"

"If I remember correctly, Loki once said that he can change both his external and internal appearance. If he so chose, he could become human, in a way. I suppose it is why we never discovered his heritage, because he himself believed that he was Aesir, therefore he was," Thor said.

"What? Really? How does that even...okay, okay...well, let's try anyway. He's got no reason to think anyone's looking for him with a giant scanner so why would he bother making himself human or whatever? And he can't have recovered all that much, right? He was looking pretty tired last week, wasn't he?" the billionaire scrubbed a hand through his hair.

"That is true. I wish I understood more about my brother's talents, but I confess, he was too oft ridiculed and not often praised."

"Because he picked magic not brute force?" Tony furrowed his brow, remembering Thor's stories about Loki.

"It is perceived as a woman's art. I know now that such assumptions are wrong, but I wish I had understood it centuries ago. Perhaps my brother and I would not be so estranged now."

"A guy can only put up with so much," the billionaire said. "You and the rest of Asgard didn't really do him any favours."

"No, we did not."

"JARVIS, we're looking for anything not human," Tony announced, "Think we can scan the whole planet?"

"It will take time," the AI replied.

"How much?"

"A week."

"I will ask father and Heimdall, but I do not hold out much hope," Thor said.

"Do it, JARVIS, looks like you're about the only plan we've got," Tony shrugged.

* * *

Loki really hadn't planned to stay on Midgard at all but until recently he hadn't been recovered enough to consider leaving. This world had fewer natural portals than any other he'd visited and he didn't yet have the strength to forge one himself, he wasn't even sure it would work if he was recovered anyway.

And in the time he'd spent on Midgard, he'd actually found a few things about the place that he actually deemed worthy of his interest. That was why, two days later Loki was in Germany sitting in a grand theatre in his own private box, as his own person rather than incognito. He was high above the stage which gave him an impressive vantage point. After almost a thousand years of watching the same actors perform the same plays to an audience that didn't seem to ever tire of the repetitiveness, it was refreshing to see new stories. It was yet another example of how he'd never truly fit in Asgard.

Despite the fact that he hadn't intended to spend much time on Midgard, he'd found himself becoming fascinated with just how many distractions people here had. He liked their plays, he appreciated their technology which was far beyond anything Asgard had since it seemed, like its King, to be set firmly in its ways. Yes, Asgard had its own form of science, but on earth, they constantly changed. Nothing on Asgard ever changed and when Loki tried to introduce new things he'd found on one of his inter-dimensional journeys, he had been rebuffed every time.

Of course, the fact that, unlike the Dwarves of Níðavellir, these humans didn't chase him out the second they set eyes on him, worked in their favour too. It hadn't stopped him from pulling the odd prank whenever he got bored though. Just this morning he'd wrapped the Eiffel tower in green, shiny paper and gold ribbon, he'd even put a bow on the top and left a note. He'd admired his work for half an hour, watching as people stopped and stared and took photographs with it. He come to realise fairly quickly that people took photographs of everything.

Perhaps with his brother on the same planet, it wasn't the wisest course of action to be so overt, but he'd been bored and it was in his nature to be mischievous. Loki couldn't help it and it wasn't as though he'd hurt anyone, although that had never stopped Odin from punishing him after such a prank in Asgard. But this was not Asgard, it was Midgard and Odin was not there to punish him. It left him free to do as he pleased and he could only smirk with uncontrollable glee as he planed his next great 'present' for the world in which he found himself.

* * *

In Tony Stark's California mansion, Steve Rogers sat lounging in front of the television with wide eyes at what he saw. Both he and Tony were watching with wrapt attention.

"Thor...you might wanna see this," he called out

"What is it?" Thor mumbled back from Tony's kitchen with a mouthful of food.

"The Eiffel tower...its been erm...wrapped up," Tony said.

"What is this tower of Eiffel?" he asked, walking through to where they both sat around the large television screen.

The famous tower had indeed been artfully wrapped like a giant present but now it had all been removed.

"Shhh, just listen," Captain America said quickly.

"...It took over five hours for French officials to remove the wrapping paper and when they did, they found a note. It said, simply, 'To Midgard, from Loki Silvertongue.' Of course, there's been much speculation about who this 'Loki' really is and just how he managed it. One theory is that it was simply an elaborate hoax. Another theory that's proving even more popular, is that Loki is the brother of Thor, a well known Avenger and so-called Norse god of Thunder. If this is true, are we to expect more strange events like this..." the news reporter said.

"Think he did this 'cos he knows we're looking for him?" Tony asked, turning down the volume.

"I do not think so," Thor answered. "It appears he was simply looking for entertainment."

"I can't believe he actually wrapped the whole Eiffel tower," the billionaire chuckled.

"'Tis just like Loki to do such a thing," Thor said, proudly, "My brother is bored easily and he is the god of Mischief."

"Well, we know he's in France, I say we go see if we can't..."

"He will not still be there," the blonde Asgardian told them quickly.

"We have to at least check," Tony said, and so, to France they went. Loki was long gone and so Tony was left with nothing to track, they were forced to return empty handed.

* * *

The next day, Loki was in London, once again as himself, no one knew who he was anyway, so it didn't seem with wasting his recovering magic to make a disguise. He discovered exactly what a hair salon was and that, apparently, he had excellent hair for a man. He was informed of different hair products that would hold back his hair without drowning it in a sea of grease which he actually detested but had had no alternative for on Asgard.

As he was walking back onto the street, being waved goodbye from the cheery women inside he could see a fight beginning between a group of furious looking people. He didn't plan on interfering, he planned on walking by an leaving them to fight but when one of them ended up being more or less tossed through the glass front of the hairdressers he'd just been in, Loki figured that it was only good manners to aid them. After all, the people inside had just spent over an hour making sure he had the finest hair in London and not getting vengeance for the destruction of their property would be a poor excuse in manners.

Without warning, he marched over to the rather large man who had landed through the window, grabbed him by the collar of his black shirt and dragged him back out onto the street for all to see. He ignored the stunned glances of the people inside as he threw the man to the ground like a weightless rag doll.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, pretty boy?" Loki was asked by one of the people who had started the fight.

"You wanna pick a fight?" another asked with a grin.

"You all seemed so determined to start a fight I didn't think it mattered whether or not I intervened," Loki replied smugly.

"He thinks he's a wise guy!" someone laughed.

The nameless man Loki had thrown to the ground stood up suddenly and tried to swing his fist at him, but Loki moved quickly to avoid it and he caught the thick wrist in a iron grip. He may not be as strong as a true Aesir, but he was certainly stronger than any human. He once again tossed the man aside and this time, he was knocked unconscious.

"I'm not up against much competition for that title, am I?" he raised an amused eyebrow. "Those people in there were good enough to assist me, I'd prefer it if you didn't damage their premise any further. Continue your argument in the next street, if you must."

"I think we should continue it here," the first man said.

"I wouldn't advise it."

"Tough," one of them scoffed and ran at him, brandishing his fists.

Loki easily threw him aside, spraining the man's wrist as he did so and possibly dislocating his shoulder as well. He tossed a second man into a wall, knocking him out cold, a third he levitated upside down into a bin and the fourth he left lying crumpled amidst a patch of flowers and bushes. After he'd accomplished this in about thirty seconds, the others exchanged a nervous, confused glance.

"What are you?" he was asked.

"I am Loki," he answered simply, "Of Asgard," he added. He supposed it would be too much to explain to these people that he was not quite of Asgard, not quite of Jotunheim, in fact, not quite of anywhere.

"I'm Diana of Lambeth!" a little girl declared happily from inside the hairdressers. She was stood behind her mother who was holding her back from the commotion but she seemed more excited than frightened.

Loki raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at the young girl, "A pleasure," he replied sarcastically.

"Who is this wacko?" people muttered to themselves.

"You idiot, he must be the nutcase what wrapped up the Eiffel tower, they said so on tv, remember," another replied to the remaining people. "He's Thor's brother...he's a goddamn alien!"

"If it helps at all, I see you as the aliens here, not me," Loki smiled, hiding his irritation at being recognised as 'Thor's brother.'

"Forget this, I'm not fighting some crazy magic alien!" one of them said before running off and soon, the fight had dispersed entirely.

With a wave of his pale hand, the broken glass began to piece back together and then it refitted itself back into its frame. The objects inside the salon which had been thrown aside suddenly righted themselves and the scratches and scuff marks vanished without a trace. It took less than thirty seconds for the damage to be repaired and even as he was working his magic, Loki wasn't quite sure why he was being so generous. He'd stopped the fight, wasn't that enough?

"How...how did you...what?" Amanda, the hairdresser muttered to herself, staring at Loki in shock.

With a slight nod of his head, Loki turned and walked down the street, calmly, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He wasn't to know that within a matter of seconds, footage of him using magic was being watched world wide, captured by people in the street who had seen him fight.

* * *

"Sir, Loki has been sighted in London," JARVIS reported minutes later.

"What...y'mean you found him?"

"Not exactly," the AI said and brought up the footage.

"You gotta be kidding me," Tony scoffed. "Where's Point Break?"

"Mr. Odinson is aiding Steve Rogers in stopping an armed bank robbery in Washington."

"Fantastic," the billionaire sighed.

* * *

Around half an hour later, Iron Man landed on the bustling streets of London after JARVIS had managed to lock onto Loki unique, non human signal. "Talk to me, JARVIS, where is he?"

"Loki is currently directly ahead of you, sir."

"There's nothing directly ahead, just a shoe...a shoe shop...you better not be telling me the god of mischief is shopping...for shoes," Tony muttered, ignoring the people around him who were staring in awe.

"It would appear so."

And so, Iron Man walked into a busy London shoe shop, a cacophony of quiet whirling noises accompanying him as his limbs moved on his suit. Luckily it was a large shop with plenty of room between the low isles of expensive shoes of all shapes and sizes, which meant he had an open view of the place.

"Hey," Tony waved to the people around him, some even waved back. "I'm looking for someone...he's, like, this tall," he held up his metal encased hand as he spoke to a young blonde woman at the counter. "Pale, dark hair, probably wearing some kind of weird green and black get up...talks like Shakespeare..."

"Erm...well, I think you might mean..." the woman, whose name badge identified her as 'Laura' looked uneasily across the open room.

She was glancing over at the section which showcased men's boots and Tony gave her a winning smile as the face plates of his suit separated. "Thanks," he said before walking away. "Loki? Hey, Lokster, you here?" he called out happily, "Ah, there you are," he stopped in front of the god of mischief.

Loki was currently sitting on a blue padded seat, one of many in the shop, staring down at two pairs of tall, black, almost combat style boots, his face deep in thought. "Silence," he commanded, "I cannot choose."

"Say what?" Tony blinked, stunned for words.

"The boots, I cannot decide," Loki reiterated.

"Erm...they're both good, I guess...anyway, we've been looking all over for you for like four days and I..."

"I said, be silent."

"This is a really weird day," Iron man grumbled. "Just get both, we've got bigger problems than shoes right now, I..."

"I do not require two pairs," Loki waved a dismissive hand, "And your problems are irrelevant to me."

"My problems are your problems, S.H.I.E.L.D wants to talk to you, that's why we've been looking for you."

"...Why?" Loki asked, slowly looking up at the human.

"I think it's best if you just come with me."

"Are you here to take me away in chains if I refuse?" he asked dramatically.

"God, no," Tony said quickly. "Hey, I saw your work in Paris, I'm a big fan," he held up his hands with smile. "And that guy you tossed in the trash in your fight, that was great..."

"How do you...ah...of course, you mortals and your Internet," Loki sighed.

"Yep. So, are you gonna come with me?"

"I don't see why I should."

"Doomstadt...Castle Doom...freaky spear, staff thing...ringing any bells?"

"I'm afraid not," Loki answered.

"Ah, come on, Rock of Ages," Tony frowned and Loki raised an eyebrow at the phrase. "Von Doom spilt the beans when Tasha clocked him; you were totally there."

"Are you finished speaking now, because most of what you say is unintelligible nonsense to me?"

"Okay, well, how's this? Latveria, Von Doom using freaky spear, you, there, spear, not there now, S.H.I.E.L.D has questions...that any better?" he asked pedantically.

"I'm not sure which was worse, your Midgardian colloquialisms or this...infantile manner of address. And before you say anything else, I've no interest in playing games with your organisation..."

Whoa, whoa, 'my organisation'? They didn't even want me on the team, they're so not 'my' organisation. I'm not even officially employed by them...technically I'm only w consultant," Tony protested. "And I've been told, all they wanna do is talk..."

"You believe that?"

"Well, if you don't have it, what's the problem?"

Loki sighed and though he knew he could just ignore it all and teleport away, he couldn't deny that it was an opportunity. He'd already tried to see what the 'Avengers' knew about the staff when he'd let them find him last week, but he hadn't expected S.H.I.E.L.D to be so interested in it.

* * *

"Brother!" Thor leapt to his feet happily and practically ran accords the room and clapped Loki on the shoulders. He refrained from one of his usually bone crushing hugs in view of the fact that they were surrounded by the Avengers and Director Fury. "It is good to see you," the god of thunder declared, "You look well, my Loki. How do you fare?"

"I..." Loki frowned. Thor seemed, once again, to genuinely care about his well being and before he could articulate a response, his green eyes alighted on the director who stood across the room, standing by the wall windows of glass. "Director Fury," Loki greeted with a wry smile.

"You know me?"

"I knew of all the mortals Thor came into contact with," Loki answered, simply. "Though I'm afraid I wasn't left with the impression that you were as dimwitted as many other mortals seem to be...clearly I was wrong."

"Excuse me?" the man scoffed.

"From what I gather I you wished to ask me about an artefact which you have lost, correct?"

"We have reason to believe that you may have it."

"Since I don't even know to what you refer, I can't answer one way or the other."

"It's called Ruyi Jingu Bang," Fury said, turning round a computer screen on a desk so that Loki could see the weapon. "Ever heard of it?"

"No."

"You sure? Because Victor Von Doom says you knew exactly what it was," the director replied.

"Victor Von Doom? What an unfortunate name," Loki said, calmly.

"You don't know him either?"

"I do not. Is that all you wished to know?"

"Well, I would like to know long you plan on staying here," Fury said.

"Why?"

"It's not often we get visitors from other worlds and you haven't..."

"Am I to expect the same courtesies you gave to Thor? You imprisoned him, did you not, when he first arrived?"

"We didn't exactly 'imprison'..."

"But because he chooses to protect you all, you let him do as he pleases. Well, I have no intention of wasting my time protecting you mortals, in fact, I don't intend to stay..."

"Loki, please, you do not need to be hostile," Thor stepped forwards. "These are good people and they mean you no harm."

"So, why have they brought me here?"

"It's not you we want, it's the spear," Fury clarified. "S.H.I.E.L.D has no quarrel with you, Loki. We can live with your little pranks so long as that's all they are but, honestly, we'd rather you didn't do...magic, so openly like you did in England..."

"You should choose your battles wisely," Loki warned.

"I am, that's why all I'm asking you for is the staff you took from Doom."

"I am a god, you weak mortal, you have no right to 'ask' me for anything!"

"You're on our planet now, and people here aren't exactly worshiping you and band of Norse deities anymore. You and any other Asgardian will be treated with respect as long as you're here on peaceful terms, but don't expect anyone to kowtow on the floor," Fury glared at him. "Now, please, hand over the staff," he added in a calmer tone.

"I don't have it," Loki lied expertly.

"Von Doom says you do," Natasha said.

"I have already told you that he is lying."

"How do we know you're telling the truth? You are the god of lies," she replied.

"This is sounding more like an interrogation with each passing second. I do not know what you are talking about, mortals."

"You have asked your questions and Loki claims he that is innocent, you have no right to do anything further," Thor announced. "You lack proof, therefore you can do nothing."

"It's not that simple, Thor," the director admitted. "My bosses are convinced Loki has this thing..."

"That is naught to do with my brother."

"This world you love so much, Thor, is very much like Asgard is it not? Something is lost, therefore it must be Loki's doing...no wonder you love these mortals so much," Loki scoffed.

"Loki," Thor sighed, "They have done nothing but ask you..."

"They turn to me without proof, so you say! Well, I have heard enough..."

"We're not done here, if you leave, I'll have no choice but to detain you. I don't want to, but if I have to, I will," Fury said suddenly.

"Now, you take this too far," Thor warned him.

"Yes, but I can't help but wonder...just how would you detain me? I can easily overpower any mortal, I am impervious to your weapons, I can escape any prison. I have done this world no harm and I am threatened thus on your baseless assumptions!" Loki hissed, taking slow, predatory steps towards Fury.

"My job is to protect this world. Now there's an object somewhere out there that could destroy us all if it falls into the wrong hands again, so if I have to insult an Asgardian prince or two to get to the bottom of this, then I'll do it. I have to."

"From what I've observed, any mortal hands are the wrong ones for any kind of power. You are all fallible and corruptible. You are ill-suited to power."

"So you took the spear to protect us from ourselves, I'm sure we're all very flattered," Fury replied, sarcastically.

"I did not take it," Loki reiterated, slowly.

"And if you did, you'd never admit it, would you?"

"Are you quite finished?"

"Hmmm," the director hummed. "Well," he said, turning around and reluctantly breaking their unblinking starting contest. "Thor was right, we've got no proof other than Doom's say so and and he's not exactly a credible witness."

"Then my brother is free to leave?"

"Yeah," Fury nodded. "But if we do find proof, and if you've been lying to us, the next time we meet, I won't be so friendly."

"I look forward to it," Loki scoffed before he stormed out of the room, making sure to slam the door behind him.

* * *

"Loki!" Thor bellowed, running after his brother through the corridor of S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. "Loki!" he repeated when he couldn't see him.

"What?" the dark haired god sighed, appearing in a blur of green smoke behind Thor.

"Loki," Thor smiled in relief. "I have missed you," he declared before he hugged Loki in his muscled arms.

"So you said," Loki managed to say as the air was squeezed from his lungs, "Now get off me."

"Hah! As usual you seem to heal quickly but it does not stop me from worrying when I cannot find you. If not for friend Stark's voice in the ceiling, we would not have located you. When you did not return for your cleaned clothes after you left so abruptly I asked him to keep them there for you. You must return with me and we can feast!"

"Not everything is cause for a feast."

"Our being reunited most certainly is!"

* * *

"He's hiding something," Natasha said to Fury. He was sitting at his desk and she, standing before it in his otherwise, deserted office.

"Look, I'm not exactly thrilled about letting this guy run lose all over earth, not with the things we know he can do but...we got no proof," he shrugged. "He hasn't done anything to put him on the blacklist...hell, he was shopping when Tony found him. If he didn't take the staff then I get why he was so defensive. It's easier to wanna believe he has it, because if he doesn't then we're back to square one."

"Well, what's next, then?"

"Doom could have had someone...or one of his robots hide it..."

"We searched his castle, we didn't find it."

"I'm beginning to hate this damn thing already..." Fury sighed, heavily.

* * *

Late at night, Thor's 'feast' was well underway. Tony's lounge had been commandeered as it so often was since the Avengers had first been formed, but joe, it was littered with beer bottles and cans and empty food packets with pizza boxes stacked precariously in the centre if the coffee table.

"Yeah, whosoever, be he worthy...whatever, it's a trick," Clint threw back his head as he drained the last of his drink.

"It is much more than that, my friend," the smiling god of thunder declared as he placed Mjölnir onto the table amidst the beer bottles.

"It's a trick," the man reiterated.

"Then, please, be my guest," Thor gestured to the hammer.

"What, really?" Clint starred before he jumped up.

"Clint, you've had a tough week, we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up," Tony said seriously.

"Y'know, I've seen this before, right?" the blond archer slurred before he tried, single handedly, to lift the hammer. "Gah...I still don't know how you do it!" he exclaimed hen he failed.

"Smell the silent judgement?" Tony asked.

"Stark, by all means!"

"Alright...never one to shirk from an honest challenge," the billionaire shrugged, standing up. "It's physics," he explained, gripping the handle.

"Physics?" Banner scoffed.

"Right, so if I lift it, do I get to rule Asgard?" Tony asked seriously.

"Yes, of course," Thor nodded.

"Oh, Odin will be pleased," Loki sighed. At first he had chosen to sit apart from them all, he had no desire to 'party' with Thor's friends again. It hadn't gone so well the first time he'd tried to fit in with his brother's friends so he didn't expect it to this time either. Though, he had to admit, watching the mortals play their drinking games was entertaining and before he knew it, Thor had brought him over to sit next to him on one of the sofas and the blonde Asgardian seemed determined not to let Loki out of his sight.

"I will be reinstituting prima nocta," Iron man announced before attempting to lift the hammer. When it didn't move he tried using both hands and strained until his muscles were burning. "I'll be right back," he said and returned wearing the right arm of his suit. After a minute or so he had to admit defeat and he backed off, but not before Tony attempted to lift it once more. "Gah!" he cried when the small thrusters on his arm piece exploded in a flash of bright light and broken shards of metal.

After Bruce failed, he slumped back down on the floor and Natasha gave him a mock, sympathetic pat in the back.

"Go ahead, Steve, no pressure!" Tony cried.

When he tried to raise the hammer, Thor was slightly apprehensive when it actually moved a fraction of an inch and the smile fell from his face instantly. Luckily, he was reassured when it moved no further and he let out a relieved laugh. Even Loki couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Come on, Cap, it moved!" Clint shouted, clapping his hands in excitement.

"Hah, nothing!" Thor declared happily when Captain America gave up a second later.

"But you had it!" Tony sulked.

"Oh, no, that's not a question I need answered," Natasha declared when Bruce looked expectantly to her.

"On the handle, it's imprinted. Whosoever's carrying Thor's fingerprints is, I think the literal translation," the billionaire stood up.

"Yes, well, that's a very interesting theory," the god of Thunder said.

"And we happen to have a shapeshifter, right here," Tony continued as he looked over at Loki.

"No," said shapeshifter muttered, without even turning his head.

"Oh, come on!"

"No."

"Aren't you curious?"

"I said, no," Loki reiterated. He knew now why Mjölnir would never obey him; it was because he was a Frost Giant. He believed that a weapon of the Aesir would never work for their enemy. If he tried to lift it now, he'd only humiliate himself and he had no desire to look like a fool. It was why he had sought out the weapon that Doom had found. He wanted a powerful weapon of his own but this one he couldn't even use properly anyway, so he'd wasted his time and power for nothing. He already felt like a fool and he didn't want Thor's new band of friends to have reasons to laugh at him, regardless of what those reasons were.

"Spoil sport," Tony grumbled, throwing himself back down onto the sofa, dejectedly. "I don't know why you won't even...mhmmm...hmmmm..." he broke off with a worried look.

"Did he drink too much?" Natasha scoffed when Tony began clawing at his mouth.

"Tony?" Bruce frowned.

"I...mnhmmmm...opmmmmm...moufffffff..." the billionaire could only hum through sealed lips.

"Erm...what?" Steve asked.

"Loki?" Thor turned to his brother with a small smile.

"He wouldn't stop talking," the dark haired sorcerer shrugged.

"Hah!" the god of thunder laughed.

"H...hhhhhh! Wh...hmmmm...hhhhh..." Tony continued to protest as best he could but Loki seemed not to care or even hear him.

"How long'll this last?" Steve asked.

"As long as I wish," the dark haired sorcerer answered.

"I think it's kind of an improvement," Natasha grinned.

"Hhhhhhhh! Noooooo...mmmmmmmmmmmmm!" Tony cried.

"Hah, hah, brother!" Thor exclaimed, clapping Loki on the back with enough force to knock the smaller man forwards. "Well met, indeed!"

"It's merely a simple spell," Loki shrugged, after a moment to recover from the fact that he was being praised. After a lifetime of being ridiculed for his trickery, even the smallest of compliments left him feeling stunned.

"Erm...maybe you should let him speak now," Steve said, trying to hide his smile, unsuccessfully.

"I disagree," the sorcerer replied.

"He can't drink if his mouth's closed, either," Clint laughed. "Which means he won't be needing this," he said, reaching over, unsteadily, to swipe the billionaire's bottle of expensive alcohol.

"Hhhhhh!" Tony cried. He suddenly leapt across the table at Barton, reaching for the stolen bottle but it was held out of his reach.

"Loki, perhaps you should, end this before friend Stark began a drunken fight in his armour," Thor chortled, not sounding much opposed to the idea.

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Loki asked, innocently. After a moment, and with a wave of his hand, he emitted a green light.

"I swear to god, Barton, if you don't...hey! I'm back!" Tony yelled, happily.

"It was good while it lasted," Natasha shook her head in mock sorrow while Thor laughed loudly.

"I have no idea how you did that but do it again...please," the billionaire sighed, finally with a smile at being reunited with the drink. "I don't know what I'd do with my morning martini," he sighed.

"You drink martinis in the morning?" Steve asked.

"No...I just wanted to say morning martinis. Sounds fancy, doesn't it?"

"Sounds like you have a problem," Captain America replied.

"That's what my doctor tells me, but I don't tend to listen," Tony shrugged. "Anyway," he continued after slouching back down on a sofa. "Y'know...everyone saw you doing...magic, or whatever you wanna call it...on the Internet when you were in England. If you were going for incognito, you kinda failed," he told Loki.

"Doesn't matter," the darker haired man shrugged elegantly. "I won't be staying," he added.

"Why not?" Bruce asked.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Where will you go if not here or Asgard?" Thor asked his brother, concern brimming from his blue eyes. "I must spend increasing amounts of time at home, father needs..."

"I don't give a damn about what your father needs, Thor!" Loki hissed.

"He is our father."

"How I feel on the subject hasn't changed, don't force me to repeat myself," Loki turned away, unable to see just how hurt Thor seemed.

"He misses you."

"Liar."

"He asks after you whenever I venture home."

"Thor..."

"And oftentimes I have nothing to tell him," the blonde Asgardian continued.

"Which I am sure, pleases him greatly. You are a fool, Thor, if you think he cares. Odin Allfather would sooner care for a rabid bilgesnipe than he would for me," Loki said, thinking of the time he'd recently been held captive by mountain trolls. His magic had been bound and he knew that Odin and Heimdall had been able to see him, and they hadn't helped him to escape his tormentors. They hadn't cared at all.

"Why do you think this, my brother?"

"What's a bilgesnipe?" Clint muttered to Natasha who simply shrugged back.

"I have my reasons," Loki replied to Thor.

"Tell me these reasons, Loki, you can trust me, I want only what is best for you."

"You should have learned by now, that I trust no one...and neither should you. So, when next you return hom...to Asgard, have Odin tell you about Vanaheim," Loki said cryptically.

"Vanaheim?" Thor frowned.

"And the Mountain Trolls. Threaten him with Mjölnir if you must, but have him tell you whatever the cost."

"Very well, I shall," the blonde nodded, "You are certain he will know what you..."

"He'll know," Loki muttered.

* * *

*1 I took some liberties in saying that the staff was made to destroy humanity.


	8. Wisdom, Not Arrogance

**Wisdom, Not Arrogance**

 **Summary** \- Taking Loki's advice, Thor questions Odin in Asgard.

* * *

In the realm eternal, the sun was never absent and it shone down on the golden palace, as it did every day, and as it always would. Odin walked slowly beside his son Thor, neither really heading in any direction, but both enjoying the company of the other.

"Why ask of Vanaheim, my son?" Odin furrowed his wrinkled brow as he came to a halt.

"'Tis what Loki asked of me," Thor replied, "But I know not why. He would not tell me more save that there were Mountain Trolls involved."

"He told you nought?"

"No. Why? Do you know of what he spoke?"

"...I do," Odin answered truthfully. "And I will tell you, Thor, if I do not, Loki will undoubtedly do so. Your brother... was held captive on Vanaheim by Mountain Trolls."

"What? When was this?!" Thor bellowed, spinning on his heels to face his father.

The older Asgardian looked both guilty and sorrowful but not at all surprised at Thor's questioning. "Very recently. He was without his magic for seven days before he was able to escape."

"You knew of it and you did not aid him?" Thor frowned, "'Tis no wonder Loki is angry!"

"He would have been angry no matter my actions. Had I intervened openly, he would have resented it..."

"So you did aid him?"

"I did...discretely, so much so that even he does not know of it," Odin said heavily, "It was for the best."

"But Loki feels he is abandoned, surely if you had..."

"No, Thor," the King shook his head. "He is fiercely independent. Any rescue attempt, he would have sneered at. It would have implied that he could not fend for himself."

"But that is false!"

"That is not what he would believe."

"...Father...a week in captivity!"

"It took time to weaken his magical restraints from such a distance and in such a way as Loki would not notice."

"I would not have tarried," Thor said with clenched fists. Even though he knew that Loki would have been furious, he would have acted instantly to free his brother. The AllFather claimed that the shadows were no place for an Asgardian but he acted secretly more than anyone.

"What happened to him there?" Thor asked once he believed he had reigned in his temper.

"...Nothing he has not suffered before," Odin answered, sadly.

"And that excuses his treatment?"

"No, and nor did I say so. But Loki has a habit of making enemies, some will be bold enough to take their chance for revenge if the opportunity presents itself."

"He does not only make enemies. He is much loved in Álfheim among the Light Elves; they considered him a prodigy, did they not?"

"They did, it is true. But what of the Dwarves of Níðavellir? And what did he do to warrant the anger of the Mountain Trolls of Vanaheim?"

"I am sure we cannot be loved by all in the Nine, none of us," Thor replied.

"Perhaps not," Odin gave a small smile, "Your mother said to me that you have changed and I see that she was right. You speak with wisdom, not with arrogance."

"My time on Midgard has changed me, father but if fear it has changed Loki also...no, perhaps he changed before that, long before," Thor sighed. "I want things to be as they were when we were young, before Loki began to cast himself out...before we began to cast him out for being no more than who he is."

"What do you mean by that?"

"On Midgard they believe that a person should be valued for who they are and that their skills should be recognised. No skill is greater than any other. Father you wield magic and you are not mocked for it, Loki does the same and he is scorned. Why is this so?"

"Loki's ways were never our ways..."

"Because he is not Aesir?" Thor questioned, feeling ashamed.

"Because Asgard has long since valued brute strength and battle. Loki does not need brute strength to be strong and he understands that battle is not a thing to be glorified even though he himself has been known to revel in its chaos. There is a time and a place for battle and I believe he understands this. He challenges everything the history of our world teaches us. It is the fault of your elders for not instilling different beliefs but it is no easy thing to change. Loki tried and see what happened." *1

"I miss my brother, father. I want him to come home. I want him to be happy but I know not how to make him so."

"No one but he can know how such a feat is to be accomplished."

"You have no hope that he will return?" Thor asked, forlornly.

"I have little hope that I will see the day he does return," Odin corrected him sadly. "I should have told him, told you both the truth, but I sought only to protect him. I did not want him to live with the knowledge that he had been abandoned when he was but a child. He was not a day old, Thor, when he was left to die alone. If I had not done what I had, he would not be alive to hate me now, but at least he is alive."

"I wish you would tell him this."

"He would not believe it," Odin sighed. "He is the patron of lies but when he himself believes a lie, for him it becomes truth. Ever has it been so."

"More than lies, he embodies mischief, father," Thor pressed. "But he is wise and just. Asgard is far greater with Loki than without."

"It is not I you need to convince, Thor, it's your brother," he replied, "And that will be no small task. Once Loki has made up his mind, nothing in the Nine will sway him, you know that."

"Aye," the younger Asgardian sighed heavily.

* * *

*1 Odin from Norse mythology would never be saying any of this. He loved war and he definitely loved starting fights. But he's a myth and this is fan fiction about a movie adaptation of a comic book version of him, so whatever.


	9. Ruyi Jingu Bang

**Ruyi Jingu Bang**

 **Summary -** Loki is not best pleased when he learns that the staff he found is more or less, useless to him or to anyone else.

* * *

Alfheim was a realm beautiful enough to rival Asgard. It was covered in lush forests with exotic plants and creatures that roamed it freely. The buildings were made of almost white stone and they merged effortlessly with the greenery in which they were set. The Light Elves believed that life was sacred and to harm an animal, for any purpose, was an act of unnecessary cruelty. That wasn't to say that they were pacifists, if they had to, they would fit to the death for a cause they believed in. *1

It was home to many different Elves but Loki mainly visited for his old friend and teacher, Aventir. Aventir was old, even compared to Loki. He was over three thousand years old but he was perhaps one of Loki's only friends. The Light Elf was one who had trained the young Asgardian Prince when he had visited the realm in search of magical knowledge. He, like many of his kind, had long pale blonde hair, and almost white skin, his eyes were black and he was tall and slim. He loved in a large, open house that was Romanesque with hanging drapes fluttering in the wind because there were no windows, only stone columns to separate the building from the forest.

Loki had brought the staff he had found to the elf in the hopes of getting some answers. He himself, with all his knowledge had failed, but his old teacher had two thousand years more wisdom than he did.

"You're saying...that this weapon...is useless?" Loki frowned, "That's not what I want to hear."

"Of course not, but I can't change what is, my Prince," the ageless elf replied, calmly. "The mortal who designed this staff was truly a prodigy. It's spell craft is far beyond anything I should have thought any Midgardian capable of."

"A mortal sorcerer was welding this with ease when I found it. It was clearly not useless to him."

"From what I've discovered, this mortal wasn't using even a fraction of its true power. Had he used it for an extended period of time, it would have destroyed him. It would have burned him alive as it could have done to you. You have far more sedir than any mortal, therefore you were able to use more of the power inside the staff."

"So, it tried to stop me more quickly than it would have done for him," Loki scowled.

"Yes," Aventir nodded. "It is a perfect mechanism to prevent another from using it. I'd almost call it a curse."

"Is there a way to remove this...curse?"

"None. Well, not without destroying it."

"You are the best curse breaker in the Nine, and you refuse so quickly?"

"It's not that I refuse, it's that I can't. Only the man who forged this staff can remove its curse..."

"That mortal is long since dead."

"And were he not, I don't doubt that he would refuse. He went to great lengths to forge this spell, he must have had a reason."

"Yes, greed, to keep his power to himself."

"No matter the reason, you know as well as I, old friend, that some magics are impossible no matter how powerful we are."

"I wasted my time and effort for nothing in recovering this...trinket," Loki hissed, leaning forwards over an old table with his pale fingers splayed on its smooth surface.

"I'm sorry to say, yes, you did."

"Not exactly comforting to hear you agree with that."

"I know better than to lie to you," he gave a small smile. "I would suggest that destroying it is the best course open to us now. It is useless as it is and it will only kill whomsoever wields it. It is pointless to study it further."

Loki sighed and turned to face his friend with a look of resignation. He knew the elf was right. The staff was useless to him and he was back where he started. He wanted a weapon to prove his power. His magic clearly hadn't done the job on Asgard but if he could prove that there was a powerful artefact sow where out there that would accent him, then perhaps it would prove that he too was a worthy son.

"Why did you search for the weapon in the first place? You do not need weapons to fight, you've made no secret of it over the centuries."

"'It isn't that..."

"You want a weapon of great power just as your father has Gungnir, just as your brother has Mjölnir, do you not?" Aventir asked, insightfully.

"Have you been studying the forbidden mind magic again?" Loki sneered.

"A little," Aventir admitted. "But not nearly enough; your mind is a fortress, Loki. In this instance, I did not see your thoughts, but your face. I know you, young Prince, I trained you. I have known you for centuries and I know that your jealously runs deep. You already know this, but I will say it regardless. Gungnir works for the AllFather because it was enchanted to serve the King. It worked for you when you were King because Odin was unable to wield it, but now it will not. Mjölnir serves Thor because it was..."

"It was forged to serve those who are worthy! Am I not worthy?!" Loki sneered.

"It was forged to protect," Aventir continued, "It will not serve one who tries to use its powers merely to prove his worth. You know this. Should the time come when you need its power to protect, I am sure it would answer you as it would answer any being who truly needed it. But you have great power without it, Prince Thor does not. He is strong, yes, but when faced with magic, he would fail without it. You would not. This is not the first time I have seen you try, and fail, to find something that will suit you. Why do you persist?"

Loki knew that Aventir spoke the truth, but what the Elf didn't know what that he was a Frost Giant. His reasons may be true about why Mjölnir wouldn't work for him, but surely it was because he wasn't meant to purely because of what he was. He didn't believe that the hammer would work for anyone but an Aesir, a real Aesir, not a being in the disguise of one.

He began to take slow steps along one of many long bookshelves which lined the walls as his friend and teacher continued to speak. "You magic will hinder your search if you wish to find a weapon to rival those of your family. Powerful magical artefacts have a consciousness all their own and if they do not mesh well with your own magic, you would injure yourself, or worse."

"I am not the only one with magic on Asgard, Thor has magic, granted it is weak, but it is there. He will never use it, but that doesn't change the fact that..."

"Yours is different. In all my years I'd never seen seidr such as you wield. 'Tis different from your mother and your father and any Asgardian I have yet met. It was fascinating to teach you," he said and Loki smiled.

Those years as Aventir's student had been some of the best Loki could remember. Elves did not see magic as weak, they valued it almost to the point of worship. He had not been ridiculed on Alfheim and his pranks and jests had never earned him a punishment, not once. His love of words over battle was a trait much prised by the Light Elves but the fact that he, like them, could and would fight if necessary, was respected too. Perhaps Odin would have done better to banish him to Alfheim once they had begun to see that he was different, rather than trying to force him to be more like Thor for centuries.

"I have been told that you have been absent from Asgard for a time," the Elf remarked.

"That is not unusual," Loki shrugged, casually. He had often travelled away from the Realm Eternal, sometimes alone, sometimes with Aventir and sometimes, in days gone by, with his brother.

"No, it is not. But it is curious that you would leave after ruling so successfully as King so abruptly. Has something happened that I am yet ignorant?"

"...Nothing you can solve," Loki said after a moment.

"I know once your mind is set, it is impossible for any to change it and I know that you will not tell me all. I swore to be honest with you, young one, I did not force that oath to go both ways."

"Oh, I am glad you remember that," the dark haired man replied sarcastically.

"How could I forget the day you burned down my home?" Aventir chuckled.

"It was an accident...and it was not the entire house," Loki winced.

"I leaned my lesson that day not to keep secrets from you for you will surely find them out no matter the consequences," the Elf said.

Loki had been curious, as a child, about magic, far more curious than anyone Aventir had taught before but the boy had wanted to learn too much too quickly. The Elf had tried to teach him patience but Loki had tried to uncover a hidden book and after one thing leading to another, a simple candle flame had been responsible for the destruction of his home. Loki had read how to control fire, thought he understood the principle, and failed. There were stages to learning magic and the boy had tried to throw them all out of the window. But Aventir hadn't been angry, instead, he spent months after the accident teaching the young Prince to control the element so that such an incident wouldn't happen again. And it hadn't.

"I am not keeping secrets or knowledge from you now," Aventir declared. "I was able to heal the wounds this weapon inflicted on you this time," he said and Loki glanced briefly at his now uninjured palms. "But next time you may not be as lucky. If the damage had been greater, I doubt that I would've succeeded. I implore you, do not use this staff again. I do not want to see your search and jealously lead to your death."

"It is truly useless?" Loki asked, solemnly.

"It is," he nodded.

"It could take weeks, perhaps even months to break enough of the enchantments to be able to destroy it completely but I..."

As he spoke, Loki picked up the staff in both hand, his knuckles whitening as he applied pressure with his string fingers and quickly, he snapped the object in two with as little regard as though it was merely a twig. With a great spark of golden light it broke loudly and Aventir raised a perfect eyebrow.

"Taking lessons from Thor are we?" he asked.

"I don't want to be reminded of my failure," Loki replied, simply. "Here," he said, holding out one half to the Elf, "Do what you will with this half; burn it, study it, display it, I don't care."

"And the other?"

"I'm not the only one who failed in regards to this staff. I failed to use it, but someone else failed to find it. At least if I can't have its power, I can amuse myself with the fact that neither can the mortals."

"Is that wise?"

"It's power is broken now, it will be as useless to them as it is to me."

"That my be so, but is it wise?" Aventir repeated.

"I am not the God of Wisdom, I am the God of Mischief. Allow me my fun, Aventir," Loki grinned.

"I doubt I could stop you even if I tried," the Elf shook his head and began to examine the half of the broken staff he held. "But you are right. Unconventional though your method was, it clearly worked. This won't be harming anyone else again."

"Nor will it be serving anyone else...again."

* * *

"And where exactly did we find this?" Director Fury asked through gritted teeth.

"Right outside the front door, sir," Coulson answered, stoically.

The second half of the broken staff was resting on a lab table in S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters and around it was Fury, Coulson and two of the agency's prized scientists, Agents Fitz and Simmons. *2

"Who left it there?"

"We don't know. There's no trace of anyone leaving it there on any camera."

"That's not possible."

"Well, with all due respect, sir, clearly it is," Coulson replied.

"Thor said Loki could avoid cameras," the Director muttered.

"If he took it, why would he give us half of it after its been broken?" Simmons asked.

"Is it dangerous?" he asked them quickly.

"Whatever...power, this thing had, sir, it's gone. It's just a useless lump of wood and metal," Fitz said.

"Great," Fury sighed.

* * *

*1 I made this all up about the Light Elves and Alfheim.

*2 I just finished watching the first series of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and I just had to include these guys in here since they're so great. And technically, the staff would be an 084 I guess, so Fury would have to get someone in to look at it.


	10. The Chitauri Decsend

**The Chitaruri Descend**

 **Summary** \- A year after Von Doom's attack brought the Avengers together, Loki brings grave news of a strange race of creatures which plan to bring war to Earth.

* * *

 _"The Tesseract has awakened. It is on a little world, a human world. They would wield its power, but our ally is ready to lead...and our forces, the Chitaruri will follow. A world will be hers. The universe, yours. And the humans...what can they do but burn?"_

* * *

It was a cold, dark day in the middle of the Arctic circle with heavy snowfall and a harsh, bitter wind strong enough to fell even the most toughened adventurer. In this unforgiving environment, with a flash of bright green light, Loki, the Norse god of Mischief, appeared out of thin air.

His Asgardian armour was damaged and his coat was ragged and torn, for once, it may be beyond even his repair this time. He had landed on his feet but in an instant, he had crumpled to the snow covered ground, silently, his skin turning blue at the first touch of the snow.

It had been over a year since Iron Man had perfected his technology which had allowed him to track Loki and the second that the Norse God of Mischief had returned to their planet, he'd been the first to know.

"JARVIS, get Thor on the line for me, would you?"

"Of course, sir," the AI answered. It had taken Tony some considerable effort to encourage the God of Thunder to use a phone. Not only had the Asgardian broke at least five in attempting to use them, but whenever he answered them, he tended to shout, very loudly no matter how many times he was told that it was unnecessary.

"Thor, can you hear me, buddy?" Tony asked aloud.

"I hear you, friend, what is wrong?"

"JARVIS picked up Loki's trail...he's in the Arctic circle," Tony said, "And he's not moving...he hasn't moved since he just...appeared there...about ten minutes ago. I'll send you the location...you remember how to..."

"I believe so," Thor said quickly.

"I'll meet you there then."

"I will be faster alone," the Asgardian said.

* * *

"Loki!" Thor bellowed, striding through the snow, "Loki! Brother!"

Although he didn't feel the cold as badly as humans did, he wasn't meant to endure sub zero temperatures. Asgard had no winter, or at least, it never saw anything like this. He could feel his skin freezing through his armour and his cape didn't provide any warmth at all as it billowed out behind him.

Had Loki been in his Asgardian form, Thor probably wouldn't have noticed him at all, but because his skin was a deep blue amidst a see of white snow, he was much more visible.

"Loki!" Thor cried, running over to the fallen man and kneeling beside him.

Thor had waited for many years, since learning of his brother's adoption, to see Loki's true form but now that it was before him, it felt more than a little bittersweet. Loki was unconscious which meant that his transformation was involuntary, but it was likely the only thing that had allowed him to survive in the snow.

Without thinking, Thor touched his brother's blue face to trace the slightly raised markings there and his hand was frozen on contact. He cursed in frustration before he, much more carefully, removed his luxurious, red cape and wrapped Loki in it so that he could safely hold his brother in his arms without fear of being frozen at the slightest touch of his Jotun skin.

Loki's blue brow furrowed and Thor felt elated, "Loki, 'tis I, you are safe now, my brother. Open your eyes...I beg you."

With great care, Thor brushed the dark hair from Loki's face and tightened his strong arms, as though trying to protect his brother from even the cold air around them. "Who has done this to you? Tell me, brother and I will rid the Nine of their every trace," he vowed.

"Hhhhmmmm," Loki winced, the pressure of Thor's hold waving him from his sleep. "Wh...Thor?" he murmured, recognising the voice, "Where?"

"What? Where...oh, Midgard, Loki, we are on Midgard...I believe this is called the circle of Arctic."

Loki let out a deep sigh of relief as he managed to open his red eyes. To Thor's credit, he didn't look shocked or even disgusted as Loki expected. "...Good," Loki breathed.

"Good? Indeed, but why?" Thor asked, as his brother stirred, trying to stand up. Thor tried to stop him but Loki was stubborn.

"...Argh..." Loki hissed, his every muscle aching.

"You should not move so, Loki," the blonde Asgardian declared.

With a snort of irritation at his weakness, Loki raised his hand weakly and saw that it was blue. He tried to use his magic to enforce his pale Asgardian skin, but he was much too tired. It fizzled away with a space flash of green. "Damn..." he grumbled.

"I will take you away from this place," Thor said, standing slowly with Loki wrapped in his arms.

"Thor..."

"Do not think of protesting, Loki, if you do, it will fall on deaf ears."

"But I...I am..." Loki said merely, raising his hand to indicate his skin. He stared at his blue hand with a look of deep disgust while Thor did not. Instead, he used his cape to cover the hand and then he wrapped his own larger palm around it.

"I care not."

For a moment, Loki could only stare in stunned silence, his reputation as 'Silvertongue' deserting him. "We...we have no time, you must let me go!" Loki said suddenly.

"Never."

"If you do not, this realm and all who inhabit it will be destroyed!"

"...What?" Thor frowned, confused.

"There is an army ready to invade and your precious S.H.I.E.L.D has the key to opening the doors for it. There is no time, Thor! Release me at once!"

"An army...what?"

"I must go, you cannot follow me! You will doom us all, if you do!"

"If there is an army, I will not let you face it alone!"

* * *

In a highly classified location, was a building, it was large, intimidating and high tech. Designed to house Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S it had one goal in mind; to investigate phenomena beyond the range of conventional scientific understanding. Erick Selvig and Jane Foster were some of its principal scientists.

There was a bustling evacuation in progress but amidst the controlled chaos of fleeing people and vehicles, Agent Coulson stood calmly waiting for a helicopter it land before him. When it did, Director Fury and his second in command, the formidable Argent Hill, stepped off and strode quickly over to him.

"How bad is it?" Fury asked him over the quietening engine.

"That's the problem, sir, we don't know," Coulson replied. "Doctor Selvig read an energy surge from the Tesseract four hours ago," he explained as they began to descend into the bowels of the underground facility.

"NASA didn't authorise Selvig to go to test phase," Fury frowned.

"He wasn't testing it. He wasn't even in the room. Spontaneous event," Coulson added at the Director's confused look.

"It just turned itself on?" Hill asked.

"Where are the energy levels now?" Fury asked.

"Climbing. When Selvig couldn't shut it down, we ordered evac."

"How long to get everyone out?"

"Should be clear in the next half hour," Coulson replied.

"Do better," Fury ordered and Coulson nodded, turning to leave them

"Evacuation may not be possible," Hill told him once the Agent was gone.

"We should tell them to go back to sleep?" he scoffed.

"If we can't control the Tesseract's energy there may not be a minimum safe distance," she said over the sound of a klaxon sounding in the distance.

He said nothing as he met her gaze for a moment before he walked into the lab to see Selvig and Foster packing away their work efficiently. "Talk to me, Selvig," he said on entering.

"Director," the scientists greeted.

"Is there anything we know for certain?"

"The Tesseract is misbehaving," Selvig said simply.

"That's supposed to be funny?" Fury frowned as did Jane.

"It's not funny at all," she shook her head "The Tesseract is active and we don't know why."

"I assume you pulled the plug?"

"She's an energy source. We turn off the power, she turns it back on," Selvig replied, "If it reaches peak level..."

"We prepared for this, Doctor. Harnessing energy from space."

"We don't have the harness, my calculations are far from complete and she's throwing off interference, radiation. Nothing harmful, low levels of gamma radiation."

"That can be harmful," the Director remarked. "Where's Agent Barton?"

"The Hawk? Up in his nest, as usual."

"I see better from a distance," Barton told him on their comms.

"Doctor, it's spiking again," a young woman reported suddenly and Selvig ran across to the monitor.

As he finished speaking, the Tesseract began to emit a bright, cracking blue light which shook the entire facility. It shot out a burst of energy and it culminated in one area, making a large spherical shape which then exploded in blue flames, knocking everyone in the room to their knees.

Fury quickly ordered his men to advance on the Tesseract when the flames died down instantly, but it had left a lone figure standing where the light had been seconds ago. She was tall, slim and had long red hair. She was dressed strangely in ancient looking armour which left little to imagination and she held a golden spear with a glowing blue gem embedded in it.

"Ma'am, please put down the spear!" Fury cried.

The woman smiled serenely and then looked down at the spear, then she thrust it forwards and it glowed brightly, emitting a blinding light and with it, a powerful blast of energy.

Before it could incinerate the men and objects nearby, a green flash of light emerged and it clashed violently with the blue energy. It threw the lab into chaos, throwing the metal equipment around in a small hurricane, making the agents and the scientists duck for cover.

It settled quickly and when it did, Thor and Loki, who now looked a sticky shade of grey, stood opposite the woman, between her and the mortals.

"Well, well," she smiled, "The Princes of Asgard come to stand in the presence of a lowly prisoner."

"Thor, do not look at her!" Loki hissed, forcibly shoving the Asgardian to gain to attention.

"He doesn't have to look at me," she said, "You remember, don't you, Thor? You remember me."

"Thor, you fool!" Loki growled when the blonde seemed to be instantly captivated, even going so far as to drop Mjölnir to the ground.

Loki clutched a small but lethal dagger from inside his coat and spun like a viper, scratching Thor across the cheek with enough force to break the sorceress' hold over him. "Think with your head for five minutes, or we'll all be doomed!" he hissed, his breathing laboured.

"...I am sorry, brother," he said in disgrace.

Loki threw up his hands, frustrated when suddenly, the beautiful woman, leapt forwards and within two seconds she placed the tip of the spear against the chests of several S.H.I.E.L.D agents and their eyes turned blue.

"Lorelei! Stay this madness!" Thor cried. *1

"You know her?" Fury demanded, hiding his surprise at seeing the Asgardians.

"She is one of our people," Thor answered him.

"An Asgardian," the Director frowned. "We have no quarrel with your people," he told her.

"An ant has no quarrel with a boot," she replied.

"You planning to step on us?" Fury asked her.

"Oh, I come with glad tidings," Lorelei smiled, walking towards them hypnotically, "Of a world made free."

"Free from what?" Selvig asked.

"Freedom," she answered. "Freedom is life's great lie. Once you except that, in your heart, you know peace," she said, turning quickly, pointing the spear at Selvig.

But Loki acted quickly and threw one of his daggers at her, it dug into her shoulder, piercing through her bullet proof armour and made her leap back before she could take control of the scientists' mind.

"You say 'peace'...I kinda think you mean the other thing," Fury remarked.

"My lady," one of the S.H.I.E.L.D agents, whose mind she now controlled said, "Director Fury is stalling. This place is about to blow and drop a hundred feet of rock on us."

"The portal is collapsing in on itself," one of the controlled scientists reported. "We've got maybe two minutes before this goes critical."

"Well, then," she smiled and one of the agents turned his gun towards Fury and shot.

Once again, Loki threw a dagger and the bullet was knocked from its course before the man was shot in the chest. She glared at the dark haired Prince, and ordered her puppets to shoot him, despite knowing that the bullets wouldn't harm him.

The barrage of projectiles did manage to make Loki sway on his feet slightly and take a step back but that was all. "Loki," she sighed, "I was told to expect you. I know you covet the sceptre, but you will not have it. The Other failed with you...you managed to escape without it. I have orders to kill you for trying to steal it."

"I thought you didn't take orders," he replied calmly.

As they spoke, Fury acted quickly and placed the Tesseract into a secure briefcase, all while intending intently.

"I've changed," she shrugged, "I've been promised a world which will kneel at my feet."

"You're a fool for believing him. He does not share power."

"We could...together," Lorelei smiled at him, she began circling him, predatorily.

"Your spell craft does not work on me," Loki grinned at her.

"This will," she replied, brandishing the spear and raising it to his heart.

Loki gripped it quickly and forced it away from him. It began to glow and it sent him flying backwards through one of the thick metal walls with a loud crash.

"Loki!" Thor bellowed as the sorceress tilted her head towards him.

"We don't need him, Thor, you and I...we have each other," she said, placing her hand on his arm.

"...Yes...we have...we..." Thor frowned, his brow furrowing.

"Thor!" Jane called, taking a low step forwards.

"Stay out of this, mortal," Lorelei warned, sending a blast of energy towards her and the other scientists. They managed to jump aside but they were thrown by the explosion from the equipment that was hit.

"...I...what...Jane!" Thor said, shaking his head.

"Enough of this," Lorelei hissed, "You, get the Tesseract!" she ordered her men. "Thor...do not move," she said, hypnotically, raising the sceptre.

"I..." Thor muttered.

Fury acted quickly and shot her but of course, she barely even flinched as she retaliated, knocking him off his feet with the power of the spear. Though at least he had prevented the sorceress from gaining control of Thor's mind

Lorelei got to her feet and looked at Agent Barton, she'd landed right next to him and at the same time as he pulled a gun on her, she touched the sceptre to his heart.

"You have heart," she said.

"Agent Barton, move!'" Jane shouted, weakly pushing herself up onto her knees. Despite her efforts, the agent seemed to ignore her as the spear touched his chest and his eyes turned a bright blue. He put away his gun and stood to attention before Lorelei.

"The Tesseract, get it," she ordered him and he strode off towards Fury.

"Oh...of course," he muttered.

He strode off and as Thor moved to stop him, Lorelei shot him back in the same way she had done to Loki and bought herself a good few precious seconds. He was sent flying through metres of reinforced walls and she used that time to advance on Jane.

"You could be of use to me," Lorelei stated. Before anyone could stop her, she took control of the scientists' mind.

Her men had now overpowered Fury and Coulson and now, Jane stepped forwards to take up the briefcase containing the Tesseract. All of the remaining S.H.I.E.L.D agents who went controlled or dead were unconscious and useless to stop them from walking out of the room.

Loki stumbled as he tried to run after them, but he was far too weak and even if he did catch up to them, he didn't have the strength to stop the agents she'd controlled, not after all he'd been through.

He'd gone looking for the spear which held the mind gem and found himself in a world between worlds. It had been filled with Chitaruri Warriors and a being called the 'Other' who answered only to his master. Loki had been discovered and it had been almost impossible for him to fight his way out. It had taken all his strength but not before he learned of their plan and of their puppet, Lorelei. The spear would come to Midgard and so too would he.

As he stumbled to his feet, Loki was knocked back down again when the building shook violently again and he winced, frowning up at the crumbling ceiling.

"Thor!" he hissed, "An exit would be much appreciated! Thor!" he yelled, but his brother seemed to be frozen at watching Jane walks way from them. "Oh," Loki rolled his eyes in frustration and raised his dimly, glowing hands.

* * *

With the Avengers assembled aboard the concealed Helicarrier, Loki slept fitfully, his skin now an impressive shade of dark blue with intricate patters crossing over his limbs.

"Why is he blue?" Tony asked Thor who was sat beside his sleeping brother.

"It is his true form...he was adopted," Thor reminded him.

"Oh, it looks...kinda impressive. So he uses his...magic...to look different?"

"Yes."

"Any idea when he's gonna wake up?"

"No. He was weak when he arrived, he is even more so now...because I was did not save us. Loki transported us all out of the S.H.I.E.L.D facility before it collapsed. He warned me not to follow him to the base. Told me I would be a hindrance. But I did not listen."

"He's tough, he'll be alright," Tony said with confidence.

"I am worried for him, but I worry also for Jane. Lorelei is vengeful and she is powerful," Thor lamented.

"We'll get her back, big guy," he vowed, "We'll get her back."

* * *

Not long after, a very tired and frustrated Loki awoke and met with the Avengers, Fury, Hill, Coulson and Selvig around a large table. His illusion was better than it had been, his skin was no longer blue, but he looked a sickly shade of light grey instead. Wisely, no one chose to comment when Thor glared at them all, as though daring them to cross him when he walked in beside his brother.

"You're all weak fools," Loki muttered. "Because of you, she escaped and now she will never be..."

"Who were the ones who got thrown through a wall?" Fury raised an eyebrow.

"I'd just escaped from another dimension from a furious army of Chitauri, torn a hole though into another world and nearly froze to death in your Arctic Circle. Forgive me if I didn't meet up to your standards of godhood!"

"You did well, Loki, without you, we would not have known and it could have been far worse," Thor said to clam his brother down. "But what is the sceptre? And where did Lorelei obtain it?"

"It contains the mind stone, didn't you see it? Now, even those who would normally have been able to resist Lorelei's sorcery will not stand a chance. Women can now be forced under her control. Or were you too busy pining after your mortal that you failed to notice her new abilities?"

"No, no, I know...she took Jane, she has Jane and friend Barton and I did nothing!" Thor cried.

"I don't even know if I trust you," Fury said to Loki, suddenly. "Last time there was a spear involved, you stole it, broke it and gave me one half as present. I know it was you. You know how much trouble I got in for that?! How do we know you're not just here to take that thing? She said you were in someone's bad books for trying to take it. You're nothing but a thief."

"I could have left you to die in your own building, I could have let you be buried alive but I used what little power I had left to save you and your people," Loki hissed at him, "A simple thank you would not go amiss."

"He's right," Erik Selvig said kindly, "You did save us. Thank you."

Loki slowly turned his attention to the scientist, seemingly shocked that he'd even been thanked, like it never happened. After a moment, he gave a polite nod of acknowledgement and the man smiled. "I assume," Loki began with a cough, "That you haven't been idle this last hour?"

"You assume right," Fury said, standing up. He began to lead them all up the main command deck where people were talking loudly and rushing about all before the large curved window which showed the clouds moving past them. "We're cloaked and untraceable, she won't find us up here," he told them, taking his place before the windows.

"We're sweeping every wireless accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops...if it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us," Coulson told them. "And we've got every lab on the planet scanning for signs of gamma radiation. The Tesseract emits a small amount of it. If it passes by then, they'll know."

"She has been told of all this. The Other knew about all of you and about your technology," Loki sighed.

"Who is this Other?" Fury asked.

"He serves Thanos..."

"Thanos!" Thor exclaimed, "The Titan?!"

"Yes..."

"And for those of us who skipped mythology 101?" Thanos, is?" Tony asked.

"Trouble," Thor said simply.

"Thanos is a powerful being, a Titanian Eternal, who cares for nothing other than death and destruction, and because of your organisation, his sights have turned to your planet," Loki told them. "How he acquired one of the gems is..."

"And the gems are?" Natasha asked.

Rolling his eyes, Loki continued, "The Infinity gems are artefacts of great power individually, but combined they make the Infinity Gauntlet and they would make him unstoppable. From what I saw, he is trapped and he cannot escape his prison without the Gauntlet. They needed a puppet to bring them the Tesseract and Lorelei is that puppet." *2

"Okay, but why is she trying to take over the planet? What's this mad idea about making us 'free from freedom'?" the Selvig asked him.

"That's what she wants, a place to rule, she has always seen herself as a queen and the Other and Thanos know this, somehow," Loki said.

"Asgard imprisoned her centuries ago and bound her spell craft. I thought she was a prisoner still," Thor shook his head.

"Clearly not," his brother shrugged, "No prison is ever inescapable," he said with confidence. "But she didn't seem to be using her own powers. She could have easily bewitched you to do her bidding without having to resort to using the sceptre..."

"Sir! We've got a hit! A 67% match," one of the agents watching the monitors reported.

"Location?" Coulson asked as they rushed over.

"Stuttgart, Germany, 28 Königstrasse. She's not exactly hiding," he said, looking at the beautiful woman on the cameras walk confidently in a black dress and high heels, smiling at them from across the world.

"She can control minds," Fury sighed, "I don't want to send anyone in there unless we have a way of protecting ourselves...but we don't exactly have a choice. Loki...can we trust you?" he asked the dark haired man.

"They gave me such a warm welcome when I landed on their prison planet, I wish to return the favour. Director Fury...trust my rage," Loki said with a cold grin.

Fury nodded, "You said she had other...powers, what kind of powers are we talking about?"

"Mind control. She doesn't need the mind gem to force men to do her bidding simply by speaking. Women were immune though. I suppose it's possible that she has abandoned her own sorcery in favour of the sceptre, after all it has much more power than she."

"So she doesn't necessarily have to use the sceptre? Great," Fury sighed. "In that case, I want you there in case things go south. You're immune to her little mind tricks, right? But don't engage unless you have to," he said, taking in the god's tired state.

* * *

Lorelei left the building, walking out onto the street in her Asgardian armour amidst the panicking people who ran and screamed, still in shock at what she'd done inside. She had been successful, attacked a man, used his eye to attain the Iridium and now, she was about to make a point.

"Kneel before me," she ordered the people. "I said, kneel!" she yelled, her voice echoing. "Is not this simpler?" she asked them once they had all done as ordered. "Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."

"...Not to people like you," an old man declared, standing up.

"There are no 'people' like me," Lorelei replied.

"There are always people like you."

"Look to your elder, mortals. Let him be an example," she said, as the sceptre began to glow.

The light that shot from it was headed straight for him, but it bounced off the star emblazoned shield of Captain America who leapt before the old man. The blast was sent back at Lorelei, who fell to the ground.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everyone else, we ended up disagreeing," Steve said to her as she scrambled to her feet.

"The Solider," she smirked, "I was told of you. The man out of time."

"I'm not the one who's outta time."

"Lorelei, drop the weapon and stand down!" Natasha ordered from the Quinjet she flew down into the square.

Merely snorting elegantly at the order, Lorelei attacked the jet which moved quicker than she anticipated and Captain America's shield was thrown at her, knocking her backwards as the man himself ran at her, catching the shield as he moved. He punched her in the face and she swung the spear at him in retaliation.

It clattered against his shield but she was able to knock him backwards, sending him reeling onto the hard ground. Throwing his shield like frisbee, Steve leapt core tads just as she cast it aside and they began a lethal dance around one another but again, Lorelei proved that she was stronger and he was pushed away when the spear winded him.

"Kneel," she ordered, placing the end of the sceptre at his throat.

"Not today," he declared, jumping up and spinning around.

* * *

"He's all over the place," Natasha said from inside the jet, watching the Asgardian throw Captain America across the street again.

"Perhaps I should aid him," Loki raised an eyebrow, "No mortal is a match for her, I've told you this."

"Brother, you are too tired, you need to rest, I can..."

"Brilliant idea, Thor," Loki rolled his eyes, "And when she takes control of your mind, what then?"

"She has not taken his mind," Thor glanced down at Steve Rogers.

"He could be immune to her normal charms, it is possible you know, and she has not used the sceptre to take his mind yet. You have proven many a time that you are more than susceptible to her. What if I was wrong about her not using her own powers? At least he she does control him, he will not call down the heavens on us..."

"I cannot just watch..."

"You are not going to..."

"Yes, I am," Thor declared, standing up, but Loki pushed him back down, or at least he tried to.

"No, you are not. If you insist on this stupidity, I will end this myself," Loki said, vanishing from his seat.

* * *

Loki walked calmly through the street below the jet, his golden helmet, armour and green cape appearing with a flash of light. He watched Captain America being tossed effortlessly onto the stone steps across from him and he sighed.

With a second flash of light, Loki's hands let lose a blast of green power and it knocked the sorceress to the ground, the sceptre falling from her hand. "I'm afraid we've seen enough," he declared, as she hissed.

"You cannot stop me, you are weak, Loki, I..." she snarled at him as she got to her feet.

Her angry speech was cut short when Loki punched her with enough force to render her unconscious before she had landed back onto the ground. He turned with a raised eyebrow under his helmet, to stare at Captain America who was now walking, slowly on aching muscles to stand beside Loki.

"...I could've handled it," Steve announced meekly.

* * *

"If you so much as scratch that glass," Fury told Lorelei, "It's 30,000 feet straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works? Ant...boot," he said, gesturing to the drop below and then to the controls.

"It's an impressive cage," she laughed, "But not built, I think, for me."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you."

"Oh, I've heard," Lorelei grinned, looking around, "A mindless beast. Makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call upon such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I?" Fury repeated. "You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill because it's fun. You've made me very desperate. You might not be glad you did."

"It burns you to have to come so close," she said, staring into his eye. "To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share? And then to be reminded what real power is."

"Well, let me know if 'real power' wants a magazine or something!" Fury said, leaving her alone.

* * *

"She's nuts," Tony announced, turning off the monitor on which they'd been watching the conversation.

"I wanna know why she let us take her. She's not leading an army from in here," Steve said.

"I don't think we should be focusing on Lorelei. Her brain is a bag full of cats, you can smell crazy on her," Bruce replied. "I think it's about the mechanics. What do they need Iridium for?"

"It's a stabilising agent," Tony declared. "It means the portal won't collapse in on itself. It also means the portal can stay open as long as she wants. That man is playing Galaga!" he announced, pointing across the room suddenly. "The rest of the raw materials, brainwashed Legolas can get his hands on pretty easy. The only major component he needs is a power source of high energy density. Something to kick start the cube."

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Hill asked him.

"In the last few hours. I couldn't go to Germany, apparently, I'm too susceptible to a pretty woman," he glanced at Fury. "I had to do something," he shrugged.

"Does Lorelei need any particular kind of power source?" Natasha asked.

"He'd have to heat the cube to 120 million kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier," Bruce answered.

"Unless, Jane figured out how to stabilise the quantum tunnelling effect."

"If she could do that, she could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet."

"I miss our talks, science bro!" Tony grinned.

"Getting back on track," Fury sighed, "I want to know how that sceptre turned two good people into her personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys?" Thor repeated, "I do not understand."

"I do!" Steve exclaimed happily, "I understood that reference."

"Shall we go play?" Tony asked Bruce and Selvig who nodded before they left, noticing that the agent who had been playing Galaga, had at some point, continued.

* * *

In the largest lab in the Helicarrier, Bruce scanned the sceptre which was plugged into several pieces of equipment as he looked up at a monitor. "The gamma readings are definitely consistent with your reports of the Tesseract," he said to Erik, "But it's gonna take weeks to process."

"If we bypass their mainframe and direct route to the Homer cluster we can clock this at around 600 teraflops," Tony said.

"Hmm, all I brought was a toothbrush," Bruce laughed as Tony standing by his own miniature lab he'd brought with him. "Lorelei said...a warm light for all mankind," he said after a moment.

"Yeah?"

"I think it was meant for you. Even if Barton hasn't told her about your tower, it's still all over the news. Powered by an arc reactor, a self sustaining energy source. It'll run itself for a year, right?"

"It's just a prototype," Tony shrugged.

"It's impressive from what I've seen," Erik remarked," So...why didn't S.H.I.E.L.D bring you in on the Tesseract project?"

"I should probably look into this once my decryption program finishes breaking into all of S.H.I.E.L.D's secure files," he replied calmly.

"I'm sorry, what?" the older man scoffed in confusion, "You're doing what?"

"JARVIS has been running it since I got here," Tony said, "In a few hours, I'll know every dirty secret S.H.I. has ever tried to hide. I've had my doubts since we were first called in about this Tesseract."

"I think Lorelei's trying to wind us up," Bruce stated, "She wants to start a war and if we don't stay focused...she could succeed."

"Tell me this doesn't smell a little...funky, to you?" Tony asked him.

"...Let's just...find the cube," he muttered back.

* * *

"It was no accident for Lorelei to take Jane," Thor said. He was at on the cold, metal steps in the command centre, his hands clenched together, his elbows resting on his knees. "I dread what she plans for her once she's done," he said.

"She's a good woman," Coulson replied, taking a seat next to him, "Talks about you a lot. You changed her life. Changed everything around here."

"Things were better as they were. My father should never have sent me here. It did me good, but it did no good for humanity. We pretend on Asgard that were more advanced, but we come here battling like bilge snipe."

"What?"

"Bilge snipe. You know, huge, scaly, big antlers," Thor explained, using his hands to gesture to his size and antlers.

"Not on Midgard, Thor," Loki reminded him from across the room, standing before a cluster of monitors.

"Ah, of course," Thor nodded, solemnly.

"You think you can make Lorelei tell us where the Tesseract is?" Fury asked Loki on entering the room.

"Perhaps," Loki shrugged, turning towards them. "It's not just power she wants, it's vengeance, upon us," he said, gesturing over at Thor for a moment. "We were but two of the Asgardians sent to defeat her but we were the only ones who survived."

"What are you prepared to do?" Fury asked.

"Brother, I know you too crave vengeance as much as she," Thor said quickly, seeing the cruel grin that appeared on Loki's face. He moved to stand beside his brother. "But she is a prisoner. Do not..."

"I get the feeling she wanted to be here. And I don't like it," the Director frowned.

* * *

In the cage, Lorelei turned slowly to see Black Widow standing before her, "I didn't think it possible for a mortal to sneak up on an Asgardian," she remarked.

"But you figured I come?"

"After. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a balm, as a friend, and I would cooperate," she said. "I'll admit I'm surprised to see you before the tortures."

"I wanna know what you've done to Agent Barton," Natasha demanded.

"I would say, I've expanded his mind."

"And once you've won, once you're queen of the mountain, what then? What happens to his mind?"

"Is this love, Agent Romanoff?" Lorelei laughed.

"Love is for children, I owe him a debt."

"Tell me," the Asgardian said, sitting down patiently.

"Before I worked for S.H.I.E.L.D, I...err...I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on S.H.I.E.L.D's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call."

"And what will you do if I vow to spare him?"

"Not get you out," she replied quickly and Lorelei chuckled.

"No, but I like this. Your world in the balance and you bargain for one man."

"Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian, or at least, I used to be."

"And what are you now?"

"It's really not that complicated," Natasha began, walking up to the glass again. "I got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out," she said.

"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red?" Lorelei asked, standing up. "Dreykov's daughter. São Paulo, the hospital fire? Barton told me everything, men always do. Your ledger is dripping. It's gushing red and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Pathetic!" she snarled, coming to stand right before the human with only the glass between them. It suddenly didn't feel very secure to Natasha.

Lorelei pounded her fists against the glass, shocking the unflappable Widow backward a step. "I won't touch Barton," she growled. "Not until I make him kill you. Slowly. Intimately. In every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is my bargain."

"You're a monster," Natasha breathed, quietly.

"Oh, no," she laughed coldly, "You brought the monster."

"So...Banner, that's your play? Natasha asked quickly making the Asgardian furrow her brow.

"What?" she shook her head.

"She means to unleash the Hulk," Widow said with a hand at her ear as she stormed from the room, "Get everyone to the lab, I'll meet you there."

* * *

At the same time, Loki, not one to trust lightly, had sent an invisible copy of himself to scour the Helicarrier and it was at that moment, that he found the boxed and hidden weapons. He could sense that they had at some point, made contact with the energy of the Tesseract.

"A bright light for humanity, indeed," he muttered to himself before vanishing on the spot, taking the weapon with him.

* * *

"What's this?" Bruce asked suddenly, staring down at one of the tables in the lab.

The weapon that Loki had found had magically appeared there and now, Tony was able to access S.H.I.E.L.D's hidden files. "Looks like...ones of these weapons. They're building weapons," he said, reading the file on the monitor, "Of mass destruction."

"Maybe I was wrong," Steve sighed, "Maybe the world hasn't changed as much as I thought."

"Doctor, do you wanna remove yourself from this environment?" Natasha asked Bruce as she and Fury joined them all.

"I don't think so," he replied quickly, "I'd like to know why S.H.I.E.L.D is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction!" he said, pointing at the monitor.

"Because of them," Fury answered after a moment, looking over at Thor and Loki.

"Us?" Thor asked, confused.

"A few years ago we didn't even know that there were other worlds out there," the Director said. "And now that we do, we need to be prepared. You might be our allies, but not all your people are. Lorelei is a prime example. She has all your strength and she has some magic powers that we don't understand without even mentioning that sceptre. We are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet," Thor declared.

"Obviously not all Asgardians are on the same page or we wouldn't be standing here. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, that can't be controlled."

"Like you controlled the Tesseract?" Loki raised an eyebrow.

"Your work with the cube is what drew Lorelei and her allies here," Thor said. "It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war!"

"We had no choice," Fury sighed.

"A nuclear deterrent, right? Because that always calls things right down," Tony muttered.

"I thought humans were more evolved than this," Thor said.

"Did we come to your planet and blow things up?" Fury asked, sarcastically.

"You treat your champions with such mistrust," the blonde Asgardian said, his anger rising.

"Are you really that naïve?" Natasha asked, "S.H.I.E.L.D monitors potential threats."

"After all we've done, we're all still a threat?!" Tony exclaimed.

"We all are," she replied.

"Wait, you too?" Bruce asked her.

"You speak of control, yet you court chaos," Thor said to Fury.

"That's his M.O, isn't it? I mean, I thought we were a team, but we're just a chemical mixture that makes chaos," Bruce said, "We're a time bomb."

"You need to step away," Fury told him.

"Why shouldn't he let off a little steam?" Tony questioned.

"You know why," Steve said quickly.

"You people are so petty, and tiny!" Loki hissed. "Your own organisation, that you claim stands for the good of your planet, was keeping secrets..."

"Did you find this thing..." Tony asked him.

"Agent Romanoff would you escort Doctor Banner to his..."

"Where? You rented my room?"

"The cell was just in case..." Fury began.

"In case you needed to kill me," Bruce nodded, "I know. But you can't, I tried. I got low. Didn't see an end. So, I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out. So I moved on. I do used on helping other people, trying to do good..."

"Banner," Steve said, calmly speaking over him, "Put down the sceptre."

In utter bewilderment, Bruce looked down to see that he had, at some point, picked up the glowing sceptre. He slowly moved to place it back on the table when one of the computers began to beep loudly.

"We found it," Tony announced, "It's..."

Before he could say anything further, a loud, violent explosion rocked the entire Helicarrier and the lab exploded, sending broken glass and burned metal flying everywhere.

"All hands to stations!" a klaxon sounded, "All hands to stations!"

"Hill?!" Fury question, sitting up, wincing in the burning lab.

"External detonation," she reported, "Number three engine is down. We've been hit and it's impossible to make repairs while we're in the air. Someone needs to get outside to patch it up."

"Stark," the Director looked to him.

"On it," he ran off.

"Coulson, initiate defensive lockdown in the detention section, then get to the armoury. Romanoff?"

* * *

"...We're okay," she reported after a moment, "We're okay, right?" she turned to Banner who had fallen down through the floor of the lab with her. "Doctor? Bruce...you gotta fight it, this is just what Lorelei wants," she said to him. "I swear on my life I will..." she stopped talking once she saw this his skin was ready turning green. "Oh, no," she sighed, trying to free her leg from the heavy metal debris trapping her there.

After a second, she was able to pry herself free just as Bruce was fully transformed, he took one look at her and she ran. Sometimes they knew that even the most tried and tested method wouldn't calm him down, and for some reason, this was one of those times.

* * *

Engine three had been completely decimated and it was still partially on fire or crackling with exposed wires and cables. The wind was sipping everything around because they were still high in the air.

"You need to get over to that engine control panel and tell me which relays are in overload position," Iron Man told Steve while he was hovering right beside a particularly bad are of damage to the ship. "What does it look like in there?" he asked after a minute.

"...It seems to run on some form of electricity," Steve reported, cluelessly.

"Well...you're not wrong."

* * *

Natasha had run as fast as she could, avoiding the worst of the attacks from the angry Hulk but she had been knocked to the ground violent in the hangar bay but before he was able to finish her off, Thor leapt at him, throwing him across the large area. They both landed violently as they rolled to a stop.

"Get up," Loki appeared in front of her and offered his pale, sickly hand to help her up as Thor got to his feet, circling the Hulk.

"We are not your enemies, Banner...try to think!" Thor hissed through clenched teeth, trying to hold off Banner's huge green arm when it descended on him. His inaction cost him dearly because he was then thrown across the room, clattering through a hard metal wall and quite possible, more along the way.

When he landed, he was able to scramble to his feet, running back through to where they still were before the Hulk could attack his brother and Natasha. As he ran, he held out his arm and caught Mjölnir as it flew towards him. He swung it at Banner and knocked him backwards into a jet, breaking the tail clean off as he blundered through it.

"Thor, you're just making him angrier!" Natasha shouted as he ducked to avoid the large green fist that destroyed a jeep behind him.

"The mortals will not thank you for this damage, you know," Loki added at the same time.

"Thank you for the commentary, it's not at all distracting!" the Asgardian huffed. He then threw Mjölnir and Banner caught it, of course, he couldn't lift it so with his hand wrapped around it, he fell to the ground, trying with all his might to raise the weapon and failing.

Thor ran forwards and kicked him in the face, deftly swinging around to pick up Mjölnir, he climbed on Banner's back and got his arms wrapped around the thick, green neck .

"We have a security breech!" the klaxon sounded again, "Hostiles are in S.H.I.E.L.D gear!"

The Hulk managed to leap upwards, taking Thor with him as he crashed through the ceiling, leaving Loki and Natasha to stare after them.

* * *

"We have the Hulk and Thor on Research Level 4. Levels 2 and 3 are dark," a man said over the tannoy on the command deck which was now overrun with hostiles and had been host to several grenade explosions.

"The Hulk will tear this place apart!" Agent Hill cried.

"Get his attention," Fury replied.

"Escort 6-0, proceed to Wishbone and engage hostile," she ordered, "Don't get too close."

"Copy," the jets flying around the Helicarrier replied as they flew towards the Research lab, now with Banner in their sights. "Target acquired. Target engaged," one of the polite said before shooting.

The main window was shattered instantly and Thor ducked for cover as glowing bolts shot from the jet, each one hitting the Hulk, but none doing any damage. "Target angry! Target angry!" the pilot yelled when the Hulk leapt through the air at him, landing in the nose of his jet. He ripped open the canopy of the aircraft and forcibly pulled the pilot from his seat.

"Loki! Get the pilot!" Thor cried, not looking around to see if his brother was been there.

"What's the magic word?" a disembodied voice suddenly whispered in his ear.

"Loki!"

"Close enough, I suppose," Loki sighed, teleporting away.

He more or less, leapt from the shattered window, and though he couldn't actually fly unless he turned into a bird, Loki could leap great distances so he landed on the flying aircraft and teleported into the air where the pilot was still rapidly falling. After managing to catch the human who had been spinning too much through the sky to open his parachute, Loki transported them back beside Thor in the destroyed lab. The human fell to the ground unconscious, unused to the power of teleportation and Loki fell to his knees from exhaustion.

Thor placed a gentle hand on his back, "Thank you, brother," he said.

"You owe me," Loki dead panned, raising his head to look at the blue eyes, which conveyed only gratitude and fondness despite the cuts and blood.

"I am well aware."

* * *

In the confusion of the bridge, Barton, from his concealed hiding spot, shot a special arrow into one of the computers and in an instant, all of the screens went black and Engine One suddenly went offline.

"Engine One is now shut down!" the voice on the tannoy reported, "Prepare for uncontrolled descent."

As he spoke, the aircraft began to spiral out of control and it fell through the sky at an alarming rate. "It's Barton, he took out the engine and he's heading for the Detention Level, does anyone copy?!" Fury called.

"This is Agent Romanoff...I copy," Natasha said. She was standing in the ruined doorway of the Research Lab, watching Thor help Loki up from the ground. "You have to get to the cell," she said to them, "I'm going after Barton," she declared, running off.

"No!" Thor cried, watching as the door to the cell was opened by one of the mind controlled men at the controls. He ran forwards to stop her from leaving it just as Loki shouted out.

"Thor, it's an illusion!"

But Thor said the have time to process his brother's warning before he fell straight through the image of Lorelei and into the cell, he scrambled to his feet just in time to see the door close behind him.

"I was told you'd fall for that," the real Lorelei said from in front of the cell. "And I was told you wouldn't," she turned to Loki.

Her men, all ten of them, pointed their guns on the weakened Loki and Thor growled from inside the cage. He hit the glass with Mjölnir and it only made a small crack, but the bolts began to loosen, threatening him with a long 30,000 foot drop to the ground below.

"The only way out, Thor, is down there," Lorelei laughed, "These mortals really are quite creative when they're afraid. They also think us immortal. Should we test that?" she asked, giving a small wave of her hand.

Without warning, all of her men shot Loki simultaneously. His armour and dense skin were enough to protect him but the projectiles still flew at enough force to knock him backwards.

"Loki!" Thor cried uselessly, still trapped.

Loki moved quickly once they'd stopped, using the daggers he had left, he began to fight back, cutting past the mortals like a viper, dropping them lifelessly to the ground. But there were ten of them and he was already very tired, so it would take him a good few minutes to best them all.

In the meantime, Lorelei approached the controls of the cage and began to daintily press random buttons and levers. The floor below the cage opened and the force from the wind rushing up was staggering.

"Don't move," Coulson said, entering the room with a large weapon in his hand.

The men attacking Loki slowly put down their guns and backed away while Loki himself breathed heavily, leaning against the wall. "You like this?" the agent asked, raising the gun. "It's nice right? But even I don't know what it does," he said, "D'you want to find out?"

"Or...we could do this differently," she said, tentatively. "You put down your weapon, and I don't kill him," she explained, her form disappearing again.

She re appeared now behind Loki, holding one of his own blades to his throat, she applied pressure so that a trickle of blood began to seep down his pale neck. "Move," she whispered into Loki's ear, "And my men send brother dear down for a swim," she said.

"Friend, Coulson, please...do as she says," Thor begged him, his nails scraping the glass in his frustrated desperation at seeing his brother threatened.

"Don't believe her lies, you fool," Loki hissed.

"You're one to talk," she grinned, running her nose lightly down the side of his face. "You know, we could have been great together, Loki. We're not like the others, you and me."

"I'm flattered," he grimaced.

"I know you wanted to kill me all those years ago, but I forgive you," she said.

"You really shouldn't."

"Oh, but I do. I've seen the error of my ways and I'm here to do good. These mortals need subjugation, can't you see that? Loki, you are the second son, you are expendable, you know this. You will never rule Asgard...but you could rule here, with me."

"Do not listen to her, brother!"

"And...say, you succeeded," Loki began smoothly. "The Other is satisfied and leaves you to rule this planet...what of the mortals who opposed you?"

"Traitors must be executed," she said, matter of factly.

"And we rule what remains?"

"Equally," she kissed his cheek, "You and I Loki. The Other will forgive your transgressions, if you but aid me now. You will have a place here."

"And then?"

"The other realms will bow at our feet. It is only natural for the weaker realm to fall first."

"First Midgard..."

"And Alfheim," she smiled sweetly, "Asgard, Jotunheim, Vanaheim, Muspelheim, I suppose, Svartalfheim and Niflheim. Think of it. Eventfully we will rule over Hel itself. You are no fool, you know it would be wise to join us. Why give your life for these weak, pathetic creatures when they don't even care?"

"Perhaps it would be wise," Loki acquiesced, "Perhaps you are right."

"Loki," Thor lamented, staring at his brother, "Loki, please, do not..."

"Odin will never see me as King. I will never rule. I have always been second best."

"It does not matter. When we take Asgard, I will give you pleasure of killing him yourself. Odin's power has weakened while yours has grown. He is no match for you, great sorcerer."

"I could be King," Loki grinned.

"Yes," she nodded, "You will be King."

"All the Nine will answer to us," he told her, "Staring with Midgard. These mortals are weak, they are pathetic," he said, slowly and gracefully moving so that the blade was no longer at his throat. His words and calmed her and stroked her ego so she lowered the weapon, staring into his eyes with greed.

"Yes," she repeated, eagerly.

"But I'm afraid," he said, leaning towards her and wrapping his long fingers around her thin wrist. "So are you," he whispered, swiftly prizing back his knife and slicing her across her stomach with it. He was able to pierce through her armour where bullets had failed. "Shoot her!" he ordered Coulson.

Coulson acted quickly and fired at her, the golden light that exploded from the weapon sent her reeling back. She fell over, falling next to the open floor and before she could stop herself, she fell through the hole, plummeting to the ground.

"So that's what's that does," Phil remarked, "Nice work...had me going there," he said to Loki.

"God of Lies," Loki rolled his eyes and together, he and the Agent incapacitated the remaining men under Lorelei's control.

"I don't suppose you can let me out now?" Thor spoke out.

* * *

With the aircraft stabilised, but badly damaged, Fury met with the others in the ruined command deck, standing with Hill before the window.

"We're dead in the air up here," he stated. "Our communications, the location of the Cube, Banner...I got nothing for you. Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number, though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, you knows this, called the Avengers Initiate. That's why I called you all together the first time to stop Von Doom. Bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more, to fight the battles we never could...and you did. Good people died today believing in that idea. Now, it looks to me, like we're falling apart at the seams here, but we don't have that luxury."

"That fall will not have killed Lorelei," Thor explained, "She is still out there and now she will do all in her power to destroy the Earth."

"And she has the sceptre," Clint said, walking into the room.

"Whoa, whoa, mind controlled minion, over here!" Tony exclaimed.

"He's fine," Natasha told them, "He's back."

"How?" Steve asked, warily.

"Cognitive recalibration...I hit him really hard on the head," she answered.

"Well, if you're...you again...do you know where she would've gonna after getting the sceptre?" Fury asked him.

"No, I didn't need to know. I didn't ask. She'll make her play soon, though. Today," the archer answered.

"We must stop her," Thor said.

"It would make me feel better if I put an arrow through her eye socket," Clint remarked.

"Great, he's back," Tony leant forwards in his chair, "So...Lorelei wants to beat us, she needs an audience."

"Right, we caught her act in Stuttgart," Steve nodded.

"Yeah, that was just the previews, this is opening night. And Lorelei, she's a full tilt diva, right? She wants flowers, she wants parades. She wants a monument to the sky with her name plastered...Damn it..." he broke off.

"What?" Fury asked.

"The tower...my tower! She's gonna use my tower! It's got the perfect power source for the Tesseract too!"

"You're not going down there..." Fury began.

"Why not? It's my tower!"

"She can control men, did you forget that?" Natasha asked him.

"I believe that she has," Loki said suddenly.

"What?" Thor frowned.

"She is relying heavily on the magic of the sceptre. What she did before, those illusions, they are beyond any power she has ever displayed. The Other and Thanos have given her powers she could never have dreamed of and I believe that she now sees her own powers as obsolete. She is merely their puppet now. As long as you don't allow the sceptre to touch you, I don't think she can control you any longer."

"You are sure of this?" Thor asked.

"Mostly," Loki nodded.

"Well, that's comforting," Tony said.

"It is for you, metal man," Loki replied. "The mind gem works by controlling a persons' heart before their mind and from what I've heard, you literally have no heart..."

"Hey, I know I've been called heartless before but..."

"I meant," Loki rolled his eyes, "That your heart is metal. If she is only relying on the sceptre for mind control, then you cannot fall under her spell, it will not..."

"The glow stick of destiny won't work on me...that's brilliant, Reindeer Games," Tony exclaimed and looked around when they all stared at him. "What? You saw the footage of his helmet back in Germany, right? He's a total reindeer!"

"Do not say a word," Loki hissed quietly, listening to his brother chuckle.

"Why, what'd you call it?" Tony laughed.

"Thor, I'm warning you, I swear by the Nine, I will..."

"A cow!" the blonde burst out laughing and Loki sighed heavily.

He leaned forwards and rested his forehead on his hands on the table and listened to them laugh. Loki himself, couldn't help but smile a little, he was ultimately, the God of Mischief after all. "Loki, 'tis only a jest, brother," Thor said, sobering suddenly.

"'Tis larger than yours," Loki shot back and Tony laughed even louder.

Even Agents Hill and Coulson were repressing chuckles of their own at Thor's look of shock and horror until Fury glared at them.

"Go, Reindeer Games!" Iron Man laughed.

"Aren't we forgetting something, people?" the director sighed. "Tower. Imminent destruction of Earth," he said.

"Party pooper," Tony muttered.

"Time to go," Fury told them as their laughs quietened. "Go be heroes," he said.

* * *

Iron Man flew on ahead of the Quinjet and hovered above the roof of his tower, watching as Jane Foster worked at a computer hooked up the Tesseract.

"Shut it down, Doctor Foster," he ordered.

"It's too late," she shouted over the wind. "It won't stop now, it can't. It wants to show us something. A new universe."

"Okay," Tony muttered before attention to shoot at the Tesseract but it was shield by its own barrier and it sent back his attack, sending him reeling through the air in his damaged suit. Jane was knocked out from the force and she landed on the ground.

"The barrier is pure energy. It's unbreachable," JARVIS told him.

"Yeah, I got that," he replied, looking down and seeing Lorelei standing waiting for him, "Plan B," he muttered before descending.

His suit began to remove itself and he walked step for step across from her, neither breaking eye contact as they moved towards the sliding glass door.

"Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity," she said when they were both inside.

"Actually, I'm planning to threaten you," Tony replied, walking towards the bar.

"You should've left your armour on for that," she smiled.

"Yeah, well, it's seen a bit of mileage, and you've got the erm, the glow stick of destiny," the billionaire shot back, watching her stare, almost in awe at the weapon for a moment. "You want a drink?" he asked.

"Stalling me won't change anything."

"No, no, threatening. No drink, you sure? I'm having one," he said, pouring himself a generous drink.

"The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will change that. What have I to fear?" Lorelei asked, staring off at the impressive panoramic view of New York.

"The Avengers," Tony replied.

"Yes," she smiled condescendingly, turning back to look at him, "I've met them."

"Yeah," he smiled back, "I think it takes us a while to get any traction. But let's do a head count, here. We have two Princes of Asgard, a super soldier, a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend. A man with breath-taking anger management issues, a couple of master assassins...and you, diva, you've managed to piss off every single one of them."

"That was the plan," Lorelei said.

"Not a great plan," he shot back, walking towards her, "When they come, and they will, they'll come for you."

"I have an army."

"We have a Hulk."

"I thought the beast had wandered off," she frowned.

"You're missing the point. There's no throne! There is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes for us and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect Earth, you can be damn sure we'll avenge it."

"But how will your friends have time for me, when they'll be too busy fighting you?" Lorelei asked, stepping up to him and raising the sceptre to his heart. It shone blue for a second but it didn't seem to take control of his mind, "This usually works," she muttered, trying again.

"Well, I'm sure even women have performance issues..."

With his hiss of anger, Lorelei grabbed him by the throat, lifted him off the ground and threw him across the room as though he weighed no more than life size rag doll. "JARVIS," he muttered, "Anytime now."

"You will all fall before me," she growled, before throwing him out of the window.

Luckily, his new suit deployed just in time and it shot right out after him, knocking the Asgardian off her feet in the process. He flew back up to the top floor and shot at her as she was standing back up. She dropped the sceptre in the process but it was already too late to stop the Tesseract above them from opening the portal. It shot up a bright blast of blue energy and turned the sky and clouds around it an ominous black.

It created a worm hole like vortex and within an instant, hordes of flying Chitauri descended, riding chariots as they plummeted from the sky.

"Right...army," Tony muttered, stunned. He flew straight up, shooting at as many as he could while the people below stared up in horror at the explosions. Unfortunately, Iron Man couldn't stop them all and soon, the people of New York were attacked with bolts of disintegrating blue power and the streets were ablaze with fire.

* * *

Lorelei stood at the highest point of Stark Tower, watching the chaos unfold with a cruel smile on her face.

"Lorelei!" Thor bellowed, landing on the tower, "Turn off the Tesseract or we'll destroy it!"

"We?" she raised an eyebrow, watching as Loki appeared beside his brother wearing his helmet, golden armour and green cape. "Ah, well, there is no stopping it. There is only the war," she explained.

"So be it," Thor said heavily.

She leapt down from her high perch and swung the sceptre at Thor, he parried her with Mjölnir but she shot out a strong blast of blue energy, knocking him back and dislodging several of the large letters on the tower.

Loki conjured a silver sword and blocked her next blow before she could release another energy blast and they exchanged blows for a good minute before Thor had an opening to take over from brother.

She shot down one of the engines of the Quinjet that was now hovering by them piloted by Natasha and Clint. The aircraft spun out of control and with part of it ablaze, it plummeted to the ground.

A much larger ship, like a fish with a mouth and pointed teeth descended form the portal above their heads and Loki was torn between watching Thor fight and waiting for an opening, to watching the gigantic ship take over the sky. It probably carried over a thousand Chitauri, all of them armed to the teeth and ready to swing down onto the streets below.

* * *

"Stark...are you seeing this?" Steve asked on the ground.

"Seeing, still working on believing," he replied, following the large ship as it seems to swim through the air. "Has Banner showed up, yet?" he asked.

"Banner?"

"Never mind, just keep me posted."

* * *

"Look at this!" Thor yelled, gritting his teeth as he and Lorelei were locked in a test of strength. "Is this what you wanted?! Asgard imprisoned you, take your revenge on us if you must, but these humans are innocent!"

"It's too late," she said, "It's too late to stop it."

"No, you can. You are cruel, you have done terrible things but you can make this right. You can end this now."

"Thor!" Loki yelled right before she stabbed him straight through his armour with a small blade.

"You're a fool, mighty Prince," she scoffed, as Thor dropped his hammer and fell to the ground. He stood up almost instantly, lifting her up and tossing her back down only to watch her fool off the side of the tower, landing on a flying Chitauri aircraft.

Thor removed the small blade from his side and was about to fly after her with Mjölnir, but Loki placed a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Leave her," he said, raising the sceptre which she had left in her haste to escape. "We have the sceptre, that was the plan. Now I can at least try to close the portal. You are needed down there," he added, glancing at the chaos below.

"Jane is up there!" Thor exclaimed, looking over to the Tesseract and seeing the unconscious woman.

"You don't have the luxury of concerning yourself with just one mortal," Loki stopped him from flying off again, "I will see to it that she is safe. Now for the last time, go!"

"You are right, but..." Thor sighed. "Very well...You will be alright?" he asked.

"Aren't I always?"

"And you see to it that Jane is..."

"Go!" Loki yelled, pushing Thor aside but of course, it had little effect.

* * *

"Loki get the sceptre?" Steve asked when they were assembled on the ground, around him, Thor, Clint and Natasha stood anxiously.

"Yes, he says he should be able to close the portal," Thor nodded.

"Great. We've got Stark up top, he's gonna need us to..." Steve began but stopped when they saw Bruce ride up to them on a motorbike.

"So, this all seems horrible," he said, simply.

"I've seen worse," Natasha replied.

"Sorry."

"Oh, no, we could use a little worse," she replied.

"Stark, we got him," Steve declared.

"Banner?"

"Just like you said," Captain America nodded.

"Tell him to suit up, I'm bringing the party to you," he said, leading the flying ship back towards them.

"I don't see how that's a party," Natasha frowned.

"Now might be a really good time for you to get angry," Steve said to him.

"I'm always angry," he replied, walking forwards and changing winning a split second.

The Hulk punched the front of the ship, knocking it down and bringing it to a crashing halt, flipping it over him so that Iron Man could destroy it with a small but powerful rocker before it crushed their team. It fell in pieces around them as the angry hoards of Chitauri growled at them.

Before they could attack, there was another bright flash of light, this time it was golden, it fell from the sky and hit the ground not far from where they had gathered in a protective circle.

"Oh, god," Tony sighed, "Please don't tell me that's another portal of death!"

"It looks different," Steve observed, warily, holding up his shield.

"It is the Bifrost!" Thor exclaimed. "My father has sent reinforcements," he said just before Sif and the Warriors Three appeared before him.

Behind them, row after row of Asgardian Warriors materialised, one after the other, each person wearing golden armour and armed with swords, axes and lethal arrows.

"My friends!" Thor smiled. "You arrive at the right moment," he said, glancing around at the Chitauri surrounding them.

"We always do," Sif nodded.

"Prince Thor," General Hadir stepped forwards, "What are your orders?"

"See to it that that tower," he pointed over at Stark Tower, "Is protected. Loki is attempting to close the portal and Lady Jane is up there. Most mortals are defenceless, your priority is to protect them."

* * *

Thor flew up to the highest point he could find and he shot of a bolt of lighting up into the portal just as two more of the large metal creatures were flying out of it. Using it as a conductor, he called as much thunder and lighting as he could and after a moment, both creatures exploded.

"Loki?" he asked as he leapt to the ground, joining the confusing fight beside a group of Asgardian Warriors. "How do you fare?" he asked.

"I am working as fast as I can, Thor," Loki snapped back, his voice was accompanied by a fizzling and crackling as he tried to break through the Tesseract's barrier with the sceptre.

"How is Jane?"

"She is alive," her replied, which was technically, not a lie. "Now stop distracting yourself, and me, and focus on your fight. I will focus on mine!"

* * *

Once some of the worst of the fighting was done, from his high vantage point, Barton saw Lorelei fly past on one of the Chitauri's vehicles and with a smile, he shot out an arrow right towards her eye. She caught it in her hand deftly but couldn't predict that the projectile was rigged to explode. It knocked her off the air craft and she landed back onto Stark tower with a painful crash.

The Hulk leapt up from the ground and crashed in through one of the windows, throwing her back and straight into one of the walls, making her fall back down to the ground.

"Enough!" she cried, leaping to her feet. "You are, all of you, beneath me!" she growled and the Hulk stopped as she spoke. "I am a queen you dull creature and I will not be bullied by a..."

Evidently the Hulk didn't want to listen and he grabbed her by the ankle and swung her around, slamming her into the ground over and over with enough force to sent large holes in the floor. He left her there, broken and bleeding and he left to join in the fight again.

* * *

"Stark, do you copy?! You have a missile headed for the city!" Fury told him from aboard the Helicarrier.

"How long?"

"Three minutes, max. It'll wipe out midtown."

"Guys, you hear that?" Tony yelled. "Missile, three minutes, big boom!" he cried, wiping out the last of the Chitauri around him and flying up into the sky, speaking to the team on their communications.

"I can handle it," Loki declared. He had driven the sceptre through the barrier of the Tesseract and as they had been fighting, he had been working on controlling the power of the cube.

"How the hell can you deal with a missile?!" Tony yelled back.

"Where is it?" Loki asked him simply, "You must show me where!"

"Why?"

"Do it!"

"Okay, got it," Iron Man said, flying off as quickly as he could and let off a small but powerful rocket to act as a distress flare in the trajectory of the missile. "You see that?" he asked.

"...I see it," Loki answered.

He swung the staff and the portal, created by the unending pillar of blue light, mimicked his actions. It too moved through the sky and the portal swallowed the missile whole the second before Loki closed it.

"What the...what just happened?" Tony muttered after they all watched the light explode and dissipate, leaving nothing but blue sky and clouds remaining.

"...We won," Steve declared, breathlessly, "I think."

"Alright, yay! Hurray, good job, guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day. Hey, Loki, have you ever tried shawarma?" he asked.

"I have not," Loki said, kneeling beside the still unconscious Jane Foster using the sceptre to prop himself up on his weak legs.

"There's a shawarma joint a both two blocks from here," Tony said, " I don't know what is it but I wanna try it."

"Thor...your mortal," Loki breathed, ignoring Tony, "She...is unresponsive."

"Jane!" Thor took off into the air.

"We are not finished yet," Fandral said suddenly.

"...But then...shawarma after?"

"We have to get Lorelei," Sif explained.

"So...no shawarma?"

* * *

As the Avengers escorted the battered and beaten Lorelei down from Stark Tower, Thor stood with Loki, his Asgardian Warriors friends beside him and Jane in his arms. She was unconscious. "What did you do to her?!" he demanded.

"Noting more than what was done to me," she replied. "This is my revenge against you. If I cannot have this world, I can at least be glad in the knowledge that I destroyed you", she said as S.H.I.E.L.D lead her away.

"Despite the devastation of what has been confirmed, an extraterrestrial attack, the extraordinary heroics of the Avengers, and what we now know to be an army of Asgardian Warriors, has been to many, not only a cause for comfort, but for celebration," a man reported.

But the atmosphere aboard the Helicarrier was anything but celebratory. They had boarded the damaged air craft while S.H.I. questioned Lorelei but Fury agreed that he wouldn't stop Thor when he tried to take her back to Asgard.

But Thor was more worried for the sleeping mortal he loved, more than any prisoner. Jane Foster wouldn't wake and no scientific explanation would explain why. The others under the control of the mind gem had been freed when Loki had expelled her control using the sceptre but no matter what he did, the mortal wouldn't wake. She had strange cuts, that had appeared with seemingly no reason at all, on her arms, hands, even her face and she was whimpering and crying quietly.

"Why is she injured? And why does she not wake? Why is Jane still..." Thor demanded, pacing around her bedside.

"Lorelei told us," Sif spoke, calmly, "Her revenge, this is her revenge, against you, against us."

"Can you not do something, Loki, free Jane's mind from this..."

"The power of the gem is..."

"Brother, please," Thor begged. "Jane is...she is, the most amazing woman I have ever met. She has a mind that even you would respect. She knows no hate, only compassion. She does not deserve this. If Asgard had dealt more carefully with its prisoners then this would never have happened! You suggested all those years ago when Lorelei was first captured that she was better off dead, not imprisoned and you were right! You were right, Loki!"

"Whoa, hey, I know you're upset, but..." Bruce began.

"She'd deserve it," Natasha shrugged, "Least if she's dead, we don't have to worry about her escaping again."

"That is what I told Odin the first time, but he did not listen to me," Loki remarked.

"And now this is the price of our mercy. Innocent people are dead and Jane is trapped within her own mind!"

"'Tis worse than that," the dark haired God frowned, holding his hand over the closed eyes of the sleeping woman. "She is trapped within the Realm of the Other. No mortal stands a chance against him. It is why she is injured. The world of the mind is as real as this one."

"You barely escaped that place, right?" Natasha asked him and he nodded.

"I...underestimated their forces," he admitted, "Nevertheless, I was able to escape."

"Jane has not your power, brother, she is mortal. How long can she possibly last there?"

"Their forces will at least, be depleted now but it's still no place for a mortal. If she is strong...and fast...perhaps she could survive a day at most," Loki answered after a moment.

"It has been hours!" Thor exclaimed.

"Yes."

"Can you not..."

"Thor, she is mortal," Loki stated slowly, as though speaking to a child. "Even if, by some miracle, I was able save her, she will still die. A day. A year. A decade. These are but the blink of an eye to us..."

"Hey, we're standing right here, Reindeer Games," Tony grumbled.

"Why such loyalty for a mortal, Thor? You will watch her wither and die while you will live on for millennia."

"I cannot change what is...but I can appreciate the time we have together. I cannot accept that we will have no more. It is too soon."

"Huh," Loki scoffed, "Sentiment."

"Aye," Thor sighed. He gently placed Mjölnir onto a table at his feet and walked over to his brother. Taking one of Loki's smaller and paler hands in his own, he looked deeply into the familiar green eyes. "Brother..." he breathed simply.

Loki pulled his hand free with a shaky sigh. "You realise, beside the fact that mind magic is not one of my better talents, that my power is drained as it is. I am more likely to fail at best or damage her mind even more at worst," he said.

"At least you will have tried," Thor replied, "She...would understand that."

"Will you...when I fail? Will you understand? You put too much faith in my abilities when it suits you best, Thor. As much as it pains me to admit it, I have my limits. I cannot fix every magical problem..."

"I love her," Thor admitted, "I beg you...please...try."

With a purse of his lip, Loki knelt beside Jane, gracefully moving his cape aside for he was still in his full armour, only his helmet had been removed and it lay uselessly on one the work surfaces. He hadn't wanted to waste magic in removing his armour. "Hand me the sceptre," he said holding out his pale grey hand expectantly.

"If we stick around much longer, there's gonna be people coming to take that thing away," Fury told him as Tony placed the weapon in Loki's hand. "The higher ups are  
breathing own my neck...it needs to be under lock and key."

"And it will be, along with the Tesseract and Lorelei," Thor vowed, "Once Jane awakens. I will not leave this world for even one moment until I know she is safe."

"Well, they're still not gonna be happy that I'm just letting you take them all..." the Director began.

"Be quiet...and whatever happens, do not interfere or you doom us both," Loki spoke over him, closing his eyes. In his right hand, he gripped the sceptre and the blue gem glowed brightly, making them all a little wary as he placed his left hand on Jane's forehead. He grimaced as he entered her mind.

* * *

Loki was in darkness. Jane's mind was trapped in the same prison world he himself had landed on and it was a barren wasteland of rock and dead plants. The sky was black and the only difference between then and now, was that there was a distinct lack of Chitauri Warriors around him. Or so he thought.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar cluster of growls approaching and the frantic footsteps of someone running. It was Jane Foster, she was unharmed, but she was clearly terrified as she ran for her life from something that Loki couldn't yet see.

"Lady Jane," Loki greeted her, lightly grabbing her arm to stop her from running.

"Let me go! They're coming!" she cried.

"Well, fear not, I am here to free you. I am Loki..."

"Loki...of Asgard?"

"The same," he gave a polite nod, regardless of their situation.

"How? I don't even know where we are, I..."

"There is no time for explanations," Loki said. "You are right, they are coming, for you and now for me, but I..."

"Look out!" she screamed.

Loki pushed her aside as a lone Chitauri warrior swung a sharp blade at them, he leapt aside but not quite fast enough because the tip of the weapon grazed his cheek, deeply cutting the skin and muscle. He spun rapidly and snatched the blade and then skewered the warrior with it, effortlessly.

Back on the Helicarrier, Thor watched a deep cut on Loki's face appeared out of no where and his blood trickled down his already scratched face.

"Am I seeing this?" Tony asked, "That just happened right?"

"It did...Loki said...that the prison world is dangerous," Thor said, sitting down against the wall and burying his face in his hands. "I have risked my brother's life to save Jane's...what manner of brother am I?!"

"He will be well," Hogun told him, "If anyone can save her, Loki can."

"Loki!" Jane exclaimed, watching as two more warriors emerged from the shadows and attacked him. Another appeared and grabbed her but Loki had made sure to remain close to the mortal and he stabbed the Chitauri in the neck, forcing him off Jane and tossing his to the ground.

"Stay down," he ordered her and she nodded, "Use this only if you must," he added, handing her one of the Warriors guns. It was the only one he'd come across and perhaps it would have been wiser to keep it for himself, but he could fight, the mortal couldn't.

"Prince of Asgard," a deep voice spoke, "You will pay dearly for what you have done."

"'Tis a threat I have heard before," Loki hissed, defeating another warrior and moving onto the last one. It unfortunately managed to throw him aside and graze his leg, cutting through his leather armour and greaves and cutting the skin of his calf. The warrior raised its jagged sword but before it could finish Loki off, Jane shot the warrior with her gun held in her shaky hands.

Loki nodded at her before he clutched at his head, his magic was failing. "We must leave...now," he said, his voice weak.

Jane knelt beside him and he wrapped his hand around her wrist, "Do not move," he ordered her.

"There's more of those...things heading this way," she said after a second.

"Do not move!" Loki repeated, more strictly, trying to ignore the battle cries of the approaching Chitauri

They vanished in a flash of blue light and the Warriors were left stunned. The last thing Loki heard before they vanished was the angry cry of the Other.

* * *

Jane awoke with a deep breath, rising up from the bed and looking around frantically with tear tracks stained down her face.

"Jane!" Erick exclaimed, running towards her, "Are you alright?"

Loki, meanwhile, dropped the staff and fell to the floor, clutching his wounded leg with a hiss of frustration, cursing at the Chitauri warrior that had managed to strike him.

"Loki!" Thor knelt beside his brother. "I am sorry, I should not have asked you to..."

"Your mortal is awake, Thor, go to her. I am well," Loki said, shaking his head.

"How can I ever repay you..."

"Go! I cannot bear to hear your gratitude," Loki said, in mock disgust. Thor only smiled and brought his strong arms around his brother in a hug. "And now you torture me further! Have I not done enough for you this day?!"

"Hush, Loki, your brother is hugging you, it is not a torture," Thor said, stroking the back of Loki's head.

"...Thor?" Jane questioned, looking down at the Asgardians.

"Jane," Thor said, slowly releasing his brother and helping him to sit down on one of the computer chairs.

While Thor hugged the mortal, Loki eyed the sceptre which was lying harmlessly on the ground. It would be easy for him to take it, yes, the mortals would know but why should he care? It was a powerful weapon and it was why he'd gotten into this whole mess in the first place. He'd done his part, wasn't he entitled to a reward? All attention was focused on the shaky Jane Foster so Loki sneakily took up the sceptre and stared at the glowing gem.

"Loki?" Fury spun to look at him, "What are you doing?"

"It's rightfully mine," Loki said. "I aided your people and now I claim my reward."

"The sceptre is bound for the vaults of Asgard, Loki," Thor said, "You know it is for the best."

"How is it for the best to allow such power to fester in a darkened vault?"

"Lorelei said you were after the sceptre, she wasn't wrong, was she?" Fury asked.

"Unlike you mortals, I can control its power. I used it to save your world, does that not prove my worth?"

"Brother, this is unwise. Thanos, you claimed, will search for the other gems, unless this one is locked away he may be able to free himself and next time we could be defeated."

"I care not for the Eternal," Loki sighed, tightening his grip on the sceptre. "There is no weapon to suit me better than this," he said.

"You desire a weapon?" Sif questioned.

"And I have found one."

"You cannot keep the sceptre," Thor said calmly, "I believe you know that."

"Don't tell me what I know!"

"You have no need of a powerful weapon, you never have and you certainly are better off without an Infinity gem."

"You know nothing of the gems," Loki shot back.

"We know that they bring death and destruction," Fandral said.

"Not in my hands, it won't."

"What if someone takes it from you? What if they use it to bring the Chitauri back?" his brother asked

"I will close the portal as I did this time," Loki answered.

"It is not usually my responsibility to talk you out of a bad decision," Thor remarked, gently moving the shaking and silent Jane, who was still naturally in shock from everything she remembered, from his arms and into Erik's so that he could stand up. "But this is not a good idea," he said.

"You fear what your father will do, perhaps?" Loki inferred, "To you? To me?"

"I fear what others will do to you to obtain the sceptre," Thor clarified.

"Thanos' forces are weak now, he has barely enough Warriors to chase down a mortal in his own realm," his brother scoffed, "He cannot harm me."

"Not now. But when he recovers his forces? When I found you, I feared you dead!"

"...I made a mistake..."

"Then do not make another."

"Look, here," Fury began, "You helped us out, and we're grateful for that, but no way in hell can you take that spear."

"You think you could stop me? I escaped the entire Chitauri army, you think a mortal one could do what they could not?"

"You look like you're about to keel over, Reindeer Games," Tony remarked.

"He is right. What you need is rest, Loki, not this sceptre," Thor said, moving over to his brother and placing his hand over Loki's which still clutched the staff. "If you desire a weapon of your own, we will find one...but not this one."

"I am suited to no other," Loki told him, "It was made for me."

"This is a Chitauri weapon powered by an Infinity gem. You could not have a worse choice," Thor said.

Fury reluctantly shook at his at Natasha who had given him a wordless signal, asking if he wanted her to remove the staff from Loki's hands, but the last thing S.H.I.E.L.D needed was to get on the wrong side of an alien that had fought with them only hours ago as an ally. He wasn't one for trusting people, but he knew that Loki had been left with more than one opportunity to take the sceptre of he'd wanted to.

"You could've run off with that thing whoever you wanted," the Director said.

"He is right," Thor nodded. "You have had ample opportunity to take it if you wished. You could have left after you closed the portal but you didn't. Because you know this is wrong."

"I don't care," Loki huffed, petulantly.

"Yes, you do...but if you don't...why don't you simply transport yourself away?"

"Fool, you know I used whatever power I had left saving your lady from her own mind," he hissed. He glanced down at his hand for a second and saw that it was beginning to turn to a light shade of blue from the sickly grey it had been for hours and he looked away, disgusted.

Loki had hated every minute of this exercise in torture. His life had been far simpler before he knew that he was a Frost Giant, at least in some aspects it had been. Before he knew what he was, his illusion had literally been effortless, now, especially because he was tired and weak, it was a constant, uphill battle. He supposed that because he had spent the majority of his life always within close proximity of Odin, that his power must have been supporting the illusion as well so it was a double strain on Loki's power. It was as though he was wounded; it wasn't the moment of injury that hurt the most, it was the moment of awareness. The second a person looked at the damage done to them, it became real and then, shock set in.

"Exactly," Thor smiled at him. "Because you are a good man, brother. Now, please, this is not what you need, or what you desire," he said, gesturing to the sceptre.

With one last, deep sigh, Loki let go of the sceptre and it fell into Thor's hands, "So be it," he muttered. He began to take slow steps away from them all towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Thor asked him.

"...To rest. Wake me when you are bound for Asgard if you must, but do not expect me to accompany you," Loki said. "And Thor...as much as you wish otherwise, the lady is mortal and she is no warrior. It may take some time before she recovers from her...ordeal," he added before he walked away.

"...Do not think I did not see you," Thor said to Fury once Loki was gone. "Had Loki chosen to take the sceptre, you would have attacked him...and I would have had no choice but to defend him," he warned, taking his place next to Jane again before he handed the sceptre to Fandral.

"I hoped you'd talk him down," Fury replied, "I don't wanna make enemies out of either of you...but I will if I have to."

"My brother is unpredictable, yes, but at heart he is good," the blonde Asgardian said.

"If he wanted the sceptre, truly wanted it, I believe he would have taken it," Volstagg added, "When Loki wants something, he won't hesitate."

"Aye," Thor agreed, "We all know this."

"Then I'm glad you did talk him out of it," Tony said, "It'd kinda suck to have to fight him after...y'know...kicking Chitauri butt together."

* * *

Sometime later, Loki was awakened, but not by Thor, it was Director Fury standing before him. He'd taken up residence in one of the rooms in the Helicarrier which had taken some of the worse damage. Logically, no one would pass through so he'd be left alone and it wasn't as though the cold wind would bother him much.

"Are you come to arrest me?" Loki asked, opening his eyes for a moment, only to close them again.

"No. I think we both know that'd be a bad idea," the man replied.

"Because Thor, the sentimental fool, would see me as the damsel in distress and tear you apart."

"Something like that," Fury chuckled lightly. "But speaking of 'sentiment'...what you did back there...you seem to care about your brother more than you let on. You did a good thing for him, I wasn't sure you had it in you," he said and Loki scoffed. "You know...I'm sure that all this, helping save the earth and all, I think it wipes the slate clean. I'd say we're even now, you and S.H.I.E.L.D."

"How wonderful."

"I don't know how you got involved in this mess with the sceptre and all and I know you won't tell me even if I asked, so I won't. Now, I know everyone's got their own agenda, you got yours, I've got mine, but you did good here, you helped save the planet. Does that mean anything to you, or are you more concerned that you didn't get your 'reward'?"

"Why shouldn't I have a reward? I could just have easily have aided Lorelei instead of you," Loki stated, "I could have been ruling this world instead of having to listen to your insults."

"You saved your brother's girlfriend, I don't think he's ever gonna stop trying to pay you back for that, and from what I've heard, that's gonna be a long time."

"He won't be thanking me in a mere few decades when she succumbs to infirmity," Loki snapped.

"You got a pretty low opinion of us, don't you?"

"I don't believe you really care about my opinion one way or the other."

"No, I don't."

"You are here only to assertion if I am a new threat to you now that the larger threat has been dispatched."

"Yeah," Fury nodded.

"And? What is your conclusion? You have been observing me since I arrived, have you not? I trust you have something to show for your efforts. Are you here to declare war on me or not?"

"Not today," the Director answered, "Unless you wanna start a war, then you can be damn sure we'll fight back."

"You will attempt to fight back even if I don't initiate a war," Loki said, "You will never trust me. You can't even trust your 'Avengers'," he scoffed at the name.

"It's not that I don't trust them. I believe in being prepared, whatever the cost. We don't have an Asgardian's strength or magic to rely on when things get tough and now we know there's other...beings...out there, we can't just sit back and do nothing."

Loki nodded slightly at the logic, he couldn't deny that it was wise to be prepared for any eventually.

* * *

Thor stood outside in the sunlight in a large, open area on the street where many walked past and started or even waved at him and his Asgardian friends. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three stood beside him. Lorelei was in chains with a golden necklace around her neck, it had an unusual collar that covered her mouth and prevented her from speaking.

"Rest easy, Son of Fury," Thor said to the Director, "She will face Asgardian justice."

"It won't go down well, but I won't stop you. I don't want her on my planet," he said, handing Thor a metal briefcase which contained the Tesseract. "You better take this before S.H.I.E.L.D knows I'm letting you do this."

"You will not suffer because of your actions?"

"Oh, I will...but it's better this way," Fury replied and Thor nodded.

"You will care for Jane until my return?" he asked Tony.

"She'll be fine, Pepper's with her," the billionaire answered, "They're on their way to California. The tower was pretty trashed, so," he shrugged.

"Thank you."

"Y'know, I think we should actually be worried, Point Break, those two get on so well," he added and Thor couldn't help but smile.

"Then I am leaving her in good hands," he said and turned to Loki.

Loki was stood apart from the others, leaning against one of the cars they'd used to travel from where they'd landed. He had discarded his Royal armour and cloak but his clothes were still rather torn and his complexion was far from healthy. Thor handed the briefcase over to Sif before he walked across to his brother. "And you, Loki? What will you do now?" he asked.

"Not accompany you," Loki reiterated his earlier statement.

"Why? You could recover your strength far more quickly at home and mother would be glad of your company."

"...I will not go," he shook his head.

"Very well," Thor sighed. "I will not stay long. I wish to return as quickly as possible, but...you will be here, will you not?"

"Perhaps," the younger shrugged.

"That will have to suffice," Thor nodded, resting his hand on Loki's shoulder, "I will tell father of what you did here today."

"I didn't do it for him," Loki admitted quietly.

"...I know," his brother smiled, patting his shoulder before he lead Loki back over to the others. Thor then took his place beside his four friends and their prisoner and looked towards the heavens. "I hope to see you on my return, brother...Heimdall, take us home!" he called and with a dramatic flash of golden light, they vanished.

"Hey, Reindeer Games, you could bunk with us, there's plenty of room, I mean, I've already been running some kind of Avengers hostel for years, so...you're more than welcome, as long as...y'know...you don't magic my mouth shut again," Tony said, standing next to Loki.

* * *

*1 I needed a villain that obviously wasn't Loki and after watching the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D I think Lorelei was the best option.

*2 I don't even know if Thanos was technically trapped in the 'prison' world, I just made It up for my story.


End file.
